Survivalist Quiz: What are your top ten plants going on noah's ark?

So I'm often thinking in terms of lists as the most logical approach to survival.
Break it down to the absolute basics.

It's the typical Noah's Ark scenario, but this time you have to pick the top ten plant varieties only (Assume the typical animals will be along just for arguments sake). You have to pick the ten most successful, resilient, nutritious, adaptable, multipurpose, storable plant varieties to refeed, and outfit not only the human race, but the entire planet too. For argument's sake lets also assume mushrooms and fungus will reoccur naturally (as well as possibly one grass variety and several tree varieties as well as bees). Lets stick to the typical nuts, seeds, grains, greens, tubers, roots, beans, legumes, berries, cones, flowers, grasses, fruits, melons and gourds. Try to be accurate with your suggestions since I plan on actually preparing my own mini "seed vault" that will fit in a small pocket of a bugout bag, vacuum sealed to last. Make several dozen packs and trade them with the vandals, bandits and zombies. Even though I'm sure zombies have no interest in farming whatsoever.

I will start with the first 3 of the list, but I'm sure it will get real hard to come up with the last 7. List the plant name, and then state your case why it should come along (uses, benefits etc).

1.) Hopi Blue Corn Link

Corn has proven to be a winner the world around. Its uses are endless. Feed for cattle, used as flour/meal, huge source of starches which can be turned into other things.

2.) Hemp Link

It has its obvious uses sure, but it's an incredible fiber that could easily take the place of cotton. All our paper could be made from it. The oils are healthful and have amazing resistance to altitude and pressure. The seeds are edible, the plant is edible. It grows anywhere, in any climate with little to no resources. It helps to prevent cancer and is useful treating nausea. There is a reason why they call it "weed", it literally is one.

3.) Moringa tree Link

This is one of those super plants. Providing it's warm enough, this plant will flourish and provide edible leaves, roots, beans (nuts), oil, and numerous medicinal uses including antiparasitical.

Some of my candidates I'm mulling over for 4-10 are Teatree, Garlic, Goji berry (or blackberry), Sunflowers, Aloe, Potato and Zuccini. As you can see you will more than likely only get one plant from each variety, so make it count. All suggestions and ideas are welcome.

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Corn

Peas

Beans

Onions

Wheat

Rice

Carrots

Lettuce

OA

S&F

reply to post by Aliquandro


HUh, interesting I will have to look into the Moringa tree. Thanks for the knowledge. I do have one idea, that would be the hybrid poplar tree, they are fast growing and the bark can be peeled back to make a sort of high protein spaghetti.

Corn
Wheat
Beans
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Spinach
Squash
Peas
Legumes
Sugar cane

reply to post by Aliquandro


1.hemp (non thc variety so i dont break ats policy )
2.agave
3.potatoes
4.kava
5.green tea
6.peanut
7.watermelon
8.endive
9.kale
10.broccoli

reply to post by Aliquandro


1. heirloom tomatoes any variety--and lots of 'em
2.heirloom squash
3. heirloom pumpkins
4. heirloom carrots
5. heirloom corn, however the corn we grow is usually gone really quick, so I might substitue an apple tree
6. heirloom green beans
7. heirloom spinach
8. heirloom peas--man I'm starting to get a huge gardening jones now. Bruschetta on home made bread fresh picked tomatoes with a fresh spinach salad....Oh i'm killin' me
9. parsley and ya you guessed it.heirloom
10. spuds, taters, po ta toes --I just can't decide whether they should be red or golden brown

reply to post by hbarker



- A few I would bring- including a legume lol

1.CORN
2.HEMP
3.POTATOES
4.ALFALFA
5.BEANS
6.TOMATOES
7. BAMBOO
8.KALE
9. CHERRIES
10.Medicinal plants??

reply to post by Aliquandro


Potatoes...they'll grow in next to nothing for soil and can be planted fairly easily provided they don't suffer fusarim
Burdock Root-this thing can establish like a weed and be eaten full of vitamins
Mustard Greens-no brainer,easy to cultivate even if it gets eaten by pests
Yarrow-good for antiseptic rubs...also rubbed under arms gets rid of BO
Sassafras-love the smell, rootbeer maybe if fermentable sugars could be found elsewhere
Swiss Chard-cut and eat...cut and eat...hardy hardy plant
Tobacco-for religious smudges and chemical abuse
Fruiting Cactus Varieties-will grow almost anwhere in anything provided there is no snow or ice...although covered could probably survive.
Cilantro...easy to get seeds from and easy source of vitamin A

1] corn
2] potatoes
3] beans
4] pomegranate
5] apple
6] onion
7] chamomile
8] poppy

and 2 other medicinal plants.

Interesting answers so far. But are you sure?

Squash and pumpkin? Pumpkin is squash, and if i choose a squash it could also be a gourd, remember it has to outfit us too, this is a survival drill. And a gourd with a huge growing season and probability for mutation so it will make new varieties would be best.

Peas and Beans? Pick one, and surely the bean will win, but which one? I'm looking for the one ultimate super bean that will grow anywhere and save mankind. I'm certain it will be a variety that can mutate into peas and many varieties too.

Wheat and Rice? I'm not sure these grains are really as useful as we think they are. People who think this about starch oughta look at the potato. Potatoes have saved certain cultures from being erased. They can stay preserved in the ground in cold climates and mutate rapidly into a huge number of varieties.

Lettuce and carrots are useless, they contain very little reward for the resources they use, same with watermelon. We have maybe room for one superberry on the boat. But the Parsley is a maybe, it's definitely more logical than the spinach. But what trumps Parsley for the most useful green?

Not one mention yet of Noni, Acai or Spirulina? Noah would be dissapointed.

But I like the suggestions, it is helping me narrow down the list quite a bit.

reply to post by Aliquandro


Squash and pumpkins keep real good in a root cellar. And they grow great mass to feed my belly. I'm comin at it from what I can grow here in mt. It's cool mostly dry and a short growing season. I really don't know about some of the exotics you're mentioning. My thoughts are leaning more towards what I can store and reproduce after a long cold winter, and what I can start early when it's cold-hence peas and spinach. Avacado would be good if it would grow here, but it wont. My seed kit has at least thirty different seeds right now so thinking on ten is tough. I like your thread-- this is making me think!

1. Moringa
and
2. Cannabis are must-haves, for their highest nutritional value ON EARTH!

The other 8 wildcards would be:

3. Citrus (any everblooming, ie, calamondin)

4. Banana (Ae Ae for its beautiful cream-variegated delicious fruit)

5. Leafy Greens (ie Spinach for Vitamin A, calcium, iron, etc.)

6. Breadfruit (resveratrols)

7. Quinoa (for it has the highest nutrition of all whole grains)

8. Rice (i'm 1/2 asian, nuf said)

9. Bamboo (for the delicious shoots and for fast growing TIMBER!)

10. Legumes (ie, green beans or peas.. not as much protein as Moringa but alot, and tasty!) plus they're nitrogen-fixing

_______________________

I'm surprised that as ATS members no one has
chosen medicinal herbs
That would be my first choice.
After herbs, tomatoes since they are both fruit and vegetable.
Then I would go with plants that would boost your immune system.
Finally, pole beans for protein since they are so easy to
grow, requiring little space.
_______________________

Medicinal herbs isn't a plant, its probably 1,000,000s of plants

The OP asks we identify 10 plants, not 10 uses of plants

Potatoes (golden variety)- nutritional needs
Industrial Hemp- hundreds of uses, at least
Kratom- analgesic and anti-bacterial properties
Maize- nutritional needs
Ginseng (American)- general health
Aloe Vera- many uses
Milk Thistle- for liver function, that speaks for itself
Rice- nutritional needs, can also make sake
Cattails- nutritional needs and topical pain reliever
One other plant- medicinal, recreational and bartering purposes

That's my list without much detail.

ETA: honorable mention to Maca.

All, or most, of the plants/fruit/legumes listed so far would perish in no time if we're thinking of a boat like the ark.

And how many can actually propagate these things from seed?

Curious question, I guess it's more a theoretical question than a practical one. We'd be better off with seed AND live animals, in a real shtf situ.

1]   hemp for clothing, oil, medicine and nutrition
2]   poppy for medicine
3]   sunflower for seeds, oil and nutrition
4]   soya beans for.. you name it..
5]   wolfberry for health benefits and nutrition
6]   tobacco for both recreational use and insect repellant
7]   wheat for binding many other nutritional foods together
8]   banana for it's amazing health benefits and the banana crops are super beneficial for soil
9]   apple for ease of growth
10] citrus for vitamin c and essential oils

but none of it would really suffice without fish, meat, and poultry to adequately give time to grow these things to fruition.

Originally posted by kimish
Aloe Vera- many uses

Good call, I should somehow revise my list - Aloe is ESSENTIAL!

reply to post by Aliquandro


Corn
Potatos
Wheat
Rice
Tomatos
Onions
Soy Beans
Spinich
Oranges
Blueberries

reply to post by mainidh


Thank you. And Kratom can be used in place of poppies for medicinal purposes.