For some of us, toilet paper is hard to come by these days. So if you're really in a jam, Mother Nature does grow some natural toilet paper. But be sure you have done your research and are sure of what you are picking!
Mullein
- Aka cowboy toilet paper
- Recognized by the tall flower stalk with small yellow flowers resembling a giant candlewick
- Find it growing wild almost anywhere the sun’s light reaches, even in open woodlands
- Large and velvety leaves make for a top toilet paper choice
Big-leaved Aster
- Aka lumberjack toilet paper or large leafed aster
- Grows in the shade especially in open woods
- Lowest leaves are up to 8” wide and heart shaped
- Flowers are typical aster with thin, pale-purple petals around a yellow center
Thimbleberry
- Grows in woodland edges, open woodlands
- Leaves are rounded star shaped
- No prickles on the stems
- Red berries are delicious and resemble raspberries
Common Mallow
- Part shade or sun in gardens and waste spaces
- Leaves are round to kidney shaped and deeply scalloped, up to 3” across
Lamb’s Ear
- Small but very soft, velvety leaves
- Light silvery-green in color
- Grows almost anywhere, typically in gardens with bright purple or fuscia flowers
- Leaves are smaller than other options, just 1” to 2” wide.
AVOID - Leaves of three, let it be
- Poison ivy is actually where this rule holds true. Shaped like a mitten and shiny.
- Poison oak looks only slightly different. The leaves are more rounded and resemble an oak leaf with a hairy surface. Leaves may come in groups of three, five or seven.
- Poison sumac is clustered in leaf groups of seven to thirteen. The end has one leaf by itself.
If you do choose to use some natural toilet paper it's a good idea to test it first by rubbing the elaf over a small area of your body like an arm and wait to see if you have a reaction. Again, always do your research and make sure you are certain of the plant before using it in any way.