In addition to all their other virtues, plants can also be a building material. Historically we used plants in many parts of our lives, to build our houses, clothing, and weapons. There is a native plant called bedstraw because it was used to stuff mattresses as it stayed fluffy and repelled bed bugs. The milkweed seed fluff was called upon during WW2. Part of the war effort at home included civilians collecting milkweed seeds to stuff life jackets for soldiers. Milkweed stem fibers are also used to make rope.
Stinging nettle fibers are used for cloth. Nettles have been used since the medieval times and have great tinsel strength, are fire retardant, and are light weight. Nettle fabrics are produced commercially but can also be made at home. Nettle leaves must be soaked, dried, broken down, and then spun into yarn.
I have a friend who makes cute little baskets out of pine needles that she sells at craft fairs. Utilitarian and decorative baskets can be made from the inner bark of trees that is soaked and then woven into the basket. More rustic baskets, chairs, and fencing are constructed of whole willow branches woven together while the cutting is fresh and flexible.
Bamboo or any other flexible stick can also be woven into fencing. Some branches can create new roots if they are fresh and shoved into the ground as part of a fence. Using fresh stakes of willow is commonly used to create a living fence. Elderberry cuttings will also root into a living fence, but they are too stiff to be woven. Cordage can be used to fasten the woven branches together.
Cordage is a form of rope. Plant fibers are repeatedly twisted into ropes and more fibers are added as the rope gets longer. Well-constructed cordage can be very strong and was used often by native Americans, pioneers, and survivalists. The fibers from the stalks of Milkweed and Rattle snake master make good cordage. I have tried my hand at basket weaving and cordage, but my efforts prove that these skills need a lot of practice to be useful.
