Nebraska forests full of specialty products

All of those products can originate in Nebraska woodlands, along with the wildlife habitat most people think of, said Lodes.

Beyond wildlife for hunting, photography and watching, forests along Nebraska’s rivers yield mushrooms and berries like chokecherries, wild currants and gooseberries. Elderberries will grow in partial shade and wet sites, Lodes said. They make good jelly and wine.

Some medicinal plants grow in Nebraska’s riparian woodlands, Lodes said. Ginseng is a classic that grows only in forests because it needs heavy shade.

Woodlands are a source of seed for some of our native shade-tolerant wildflowers.

Another forest “product” that has greater than usual importance now is solitary bees. These native bees are found in hollow logs and can take on the role of pollinator to some extent since honey bees are facing large drops in numbers.

Nebraska has a cooperative of growers who produce woody stems like red dogwood that are very popular in the floral trade, Lodes said. This organization supplies materials for Chicago and Kansas City.

Uses of woodland products are as broad as users’ imagination, Lodes said. Some people use leaves and native grasses. Think of the things being used in the floral trade and compare that with the plant materials available in woodlands.

People carve cottonwood bark. It’s soft so it’s easy to carve and has a nice chestnut color. People make diamond willow canes. Redcedar is a little brittle for carving, but artists are very creative in discovering uses for whatever they find in the woods.

For more information about using specialty woodland products, check with your local extension office or go to http://www.nfs.unl.edu/specialtyforestproducts.asp on the Internet.

The Nebraska Forest Service is an affiliate of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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