Fiber
Species grown for strong, flexible fibers in stems, leaves, or fruit husks. After processing, fibers become ropes, textiles, paper, or composites—think agave sisal or flax linen. Use this tag whenever fiber production, not food, is the crop’s chief value.
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Agave: A Plant with an Intoxicating History
Agave, a genus of about 200 monocot species native to the Americas, is best known today as the source of tequila. Beyond spirits, agave has long held cultural, religious, and environmental significance, shaping ancient Amerindian life, European botany, Mexican identity, and modern sustainability efforts.
succulent, desert, fiber, beverage -
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Beyond the Silken Shadow: The Mulberry Tree's Metamorphosis and Homecoming
White mulberry (Morus alba) spread worldwide with sericulture, once symbolizing wealth but later scorned in the U.S. after failed silk schemes. Its North American cousin, red mulberry (Morus rubra)—long valued by Indigenous peoples for food, medicine, wood, and shade—now faces displacement by invasive white mulberry, prompting conservation efforts.
fiber, fruit, ornamental, temperate, tree
