Plants and society paper topic?

Question

Any ideas for a plant-related topic that I can write about 5 pages about in my Plants and Society class? I'm having trouble with this because I'm not exactly science-inclined, and this is a requirement for my major. I have to mention at least 3 plant species in my paper, and that's about it for criteria. Anyone?

Oh, and since we're doing global warming as a topic in this class, I was actually thinking of NOT writing about it.... maybe a water plant? Or medicinal purpuses plant? Help...

Answer 1

global warming impact on plants

Answer 2

Plants/Food as a symbol.
What about plants in poetry, religion, or stories.
How many kinds of trees are found in spiritual beliefs?

Mythical plants? Even spices, which were an important element of Medieval food, commerce, trade, & society, were given exotic & incredible backgrounds. 'Mythical Plants of the Middle Ages'.
Lotus tree - a plant in Greek mythology bearing a fruit that caused a pleasant drowsiness. It may have been real (a type of Jujube (perhaps Ziziphus lotus) or the Date Palm).
Christmas trees- as symbol and in trade.
Oak, Ash & Thorn in Celtic beliefs
http://www.linsdomain.com/herbs.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/DarkwingThe_Hawthorn_-_May_Tree_Lore
http://www.controverscial.com/Ash.htm

Have you heard of 'The Botany of Desire' by Michael Pollan? Pollan focuses on the relationship between humans and four specific plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. He urges us to see a reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world. "It makes just as much sense to think of agriculture as something the grasses did to people as a way to conquer the trees," Pollan writes. We grow plants for our needs but do the plants alter us for their needs? Have we changed as we went from pre-agricultural hunter gatherers to post-agriculture farmers? What plants changed us the most?

Food requires hunting, gathering, growing, storage, distribution, preparation, display, serving, and disposal, all of which are social activities.
Another way to think about botany is when did cuisines change and why. Tomatoes, potatoes and chillies are all new world crops. What did Italians eat before spaghetti sauce. What seasoning did Hungarians use before paprika? 'Why We Eat What We Eat: How the Encounter between the New World and the Old Changed the Way Everyone on the Planet Eats'

Want to discus American food? Look up Raymond Sokolov's 'Fading Feast: A Compendium of Disappearing American Regional Foods' Why were foods regional? Why did certain cuisines arise? What plants make up the basis of the flavors we associate with each cuisine.

Answer 3

Drugs (poppies, mushrooms, marijuana).

English gardens versus American gardens.

Invasive non-native species. I can't think of the name, but there is a vine-like plant that's taking over the South.

Answer 4

Lavender is a great plant to write about, Its fragrant, edible and good for you.

Cocoa, to make yummy chocolate, coco butter but is poisonous to cats.

Mangosteen: The health benefits are phenomenal!