Overview

This weblog is intended to evolve into a database of information related to edible, medicinal and otherwise useful  plant species and how they can be (and are being) integrated into diverse small and large scale agroforestry systems in both rural and urban environments. The core focus will relate to tropical plants, which has been my main realm of interest and work over recent years. Additionally, I will include information relating to plants from other ecoregions of the world. Typically, the information I am uploading will reflect plant species I have encountered, either somewhere I have recently been, somewhere I am (at the moment of posting), or flora I expect to encounter somewhere I will be visiting soon.

My name is Spencer Woodard. Currently, I am based in the colonial quarter of Panama City, Casco Viejo, building a diverse rare, endangered, native, and exotic plant collection mostly comprised of species with edible, medicinal, and/or other ethnobotanical significance.

Residing in an peri-urban landscape has geared my focus toward growing and experimenting with a wide variety of urban-adaptable food crops, both native and non-native. Compact fruit trees, culinary spices, medicinal plants, and nutrient-rich perennial leafy greens make up the majority of the 135 some odd species (a constantly growing number) that I am currently working with.

I am especially interested in experimenting with dense and diverse, stratified plantings, attempting to fit plants and trees together as efficiently as possible. Greater diversity can be achieved by incorporating plant species from similar tropical ecoregions of the world, thus I am open to working with with virtually any tropical plant species that shows potential in this area. Some of the most productive, nutritious, popular and well-adapted species I work with find their origins in distant areas of the world, such as south east Asia, tropical areas in Africa, South America and Pacific Islands.

The integration of edible, medicinal and spice plants into the urban landscape has the potentionl to facilitate a huge degree of function and aesthetic spaces, such as plazas, streets, parks, and median strips. In addition creating attractive, inspiring and interactive models for urban agriculture, and in addition to producing oxygen and providing a supply of locally grown fruit, produce and spice, agroforested areas contribute to a network of botanical garden/seed banks, from which useful plant genetics can be improved and disseminated throughout the area.

Apart from collecting, cultivating and planting edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful tropical plants, my profound interest in complex agroforestry drives a continuous motivation and dedication to studying and employing pre-Colombian land management and resource renewal systems and models. Such systems have proven far more logical, productive and historically sustainable then the modern European colonial agricultural model.

The Flora category in the site consists of an evolving list of plant species accompanied by related discussion and photos.

I welcome readers to contribute to any article in any Category via the comment forum attached to the article. Upon receiving edit marks, criticism or additional information that was lacking I will make any due corrections or adaptations. To facilitate your navigation of past posts I have included an Index page (species list). Some species listed therein are linked to their respective entry. Those species that are not yet linked can be plugged into the search bar. There are many more species featured in the site archives then there are listed in the index. The index is due for an update.