Stuff you need to know chapter 1

There is an old Indian legend where if there is anything in nature that can hurt you, there is a cure not far away. While I would not recommend getting your ankles smashed by boulders or French kissing and coral snakes, there are some pretty frikkin awesome plants which grow damn near everywhere in the civilized world which will help you.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not some ropehead holistic medicine conspiracy, this is actually backed by science, and in some cases recommended by real doctors even when big pharma made medicine fails.

Some "Natural Medicine" has special side effects.

Our first super candidate grows in creek beds, damp valleys and is so prolific in some parts of north america it is considered a weed, ladies and germs I bring you
the Curly Dock plant.

Looks like those "dry arrangements" your mom made back in the '70s

Chances are if you were a kid before WoW was invented you played outdoors and romped through this stuff on the daily. When it is well watered it is green all over, but reddens from the top down when drying. It's stalks will yield a white or clear sap when cut, and has a bitter acrid flavor like some romaine lettuce that is long in the tooth.

So what does this mean to me?

The young plant can be eaten after washing several times (to remove oxalic acid). The leaves are high in protein, vitamin A and fiber. The sap and stalk can be used as a laxative. The roots have been clinically PROVEN to remove heavy metals, poisons and radiation from the body by stimulating liver function.
The sap used topically will also neutralize the formic acid in stinging nettles, (usually found growing in the same spot as the dock) same for ant bites, and some bee and wasp stings. Note- Bees and wasps have other active ingredients in their venom and this may not do the trick, also note it will only control the pain/swelling you are still screwed if you have an allergic reaction to the venom toxins!

Next-
Beets
All Dwight Schrute jokes aside, the best thing you can do in any disaster is start planting beets. Beets grow quickly with minimal light and water required. They can be grown in a bathtub with light from a window, and while they may take 45-65 days to reach maturity from seed, can be harvested and eaten at any time in their growth cycle.

And you will be able to suck your testicles into your abdomen for protection during karate battles.

In addition to sharing many of the same laxative and anti oxident traits of the Dock Plant, beet roots are also extremely high in iron. The sugar beet can be used to make sugar for sweetening and preserving, and thus can also be converted to alcohol....

When mixed with beans and rice, beets add the holy triumvirate to the ultimate power food. Beans and rice will form a fantastic synthesized protein and just the right amount of carbs, with the iron from the beets you can last for a long, long time without more complex foods. Supplement with tomatoes and citrus for your vitamins and you are golden.

And by "Golden" we mean trading beet juice pruno for ammo.

I know you have heard it a million times before, but the buzz word plant of 1990s sun tan lotion is actually in this top three list.
Aloe Vera
Not only will it grow almost anywhere, each plant will yield plenty of useful sauce. The natural jell inside of each of the stalks can be harvested fresh or stored to be reconsituted as needed. Great for burns, both for soothing and as a topical anti-bacterial. The goo has also been proven to speed healing and reduce scarification on cuts and abrasions, but did you know it can also be taken internally?

It's the japanese porn tentacle that heals.

When under insane quantities of duress, like combat, alcohol benders, or fleeing undead hoards, your body will dehydrate faster and the natural flora of your digestive tract will go sideways. Couple this with an irregular and questionable diet of canned goods and raw rice, your guts will hate you. Not in a "ooh I got a bad tummy" hate you, in a "your stomach does the blender every time you eat and shoots out your ass in ten minutes without digesting" hate you. Being sick is one thing, being sick where your body can no longer absorb water or nutrients is another. Let's not even get into the compound suckage of having a dozen walkers on your heels and you are spraying out of your kulo like a Glidon paint gun.
Aloe jell when eaten fresh will help to keep your digestive organs hydrated, and keep your natural helpful bacteria doing what they are supposed to do, digesting your food. All that stuff that macrobiotic yogurt does that makes each container allegedly worth $7 can be found in aloe vera stalks.
because of it's populatity in recent years, big pharma and others have invested quite a bit in refuting claims of medical sucsesses of Aloe. Loaded studies and cleverly phrased press have not only claimed it was medcaly intert, but could also cause the reverse effects of the medical claims, and even form cancerous cysts.

You know, those independent researchers who are funded by
magical fairies with your best interest in mind?

This is by no means a comprehensive list, there are many natural things in your area that can be useful. For further research, I recommend talking to old people or reading the foxfire books. One day when you are older I'll tell you about how garbanzo beans saved the Roman Empire. But that is a story for another day.