Several times on my winter walks, I've seen wild birds (e.g., robins and bluebirds) feeding on sumac seeds. Indeed, sumac plants are known to be one of the "emergency" food sources that wild birds exploit when times get tough in winter. Bittersweet also falls into that category.

These reflections on sumac made me think back to some research I've done into ancient plant uses, including those for sumac. Sumac seeds have been used as a food product in a number of cultures. For instance, their tanginess allows them to serve as a citrus-substitute, a use to which the ancient Romans put them (to produce sour accents in their cuisine). Ancient plant uses for sumac's bark derived from the fact that the plants are high in tannin, making them useful for tanning leather.

And on St. Patrick's Day, I'd be remiss in discussing ancient plant uses if I didn't point out that clovers (four-leaf clovers or otherwise!) have been used medicinally for centuries.

In pondering such ancient plant uses, I can't help but wonder at how different life must have been in those bygone ages. Today we pick apart computer applications, trying to figure out how they work. Back then, the same amount of energy must have been expended on learning everything possible about our botanical neighbors. Who knew what novel alchemist's treasure might lie within an herb's leaf, if heated just right at the full of the moon?