The people growing their own toilet paper (Plectranthus barbatus) - BBC

Hmm, this might be a houseplant that I would actually keep alive!

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241203-the-people-growing-their-own-sustainable-toilet-paper-plant



Excerpts:

In Meru, a town in eastern Kenya, a lush, leafy plant sways over the landscape. Benjamin Mutembei, a Meru resident, is growing the Plectranthus barbatus plant – not for food, but to use as toilet paper. He started growing the plant in 1985. "I learned about it from my grandfather and have been using it ever since. It's soft and has a nice smell," he says.

... Robin Greenfield, an environmental activist who runs a non-profit advocating for sustainable living in Florida in the US, has been using the leaves of Plectranthus barbatus for five years. Greenfield runs a "grow your own toilet paper" initiative and cultivates over 100 Plectranthus barbatus plants at his Florida nursery. He shares cuttings for free or for voluntary donations, encouraging people to grow their own toilet paper. So far, he says he has distributed cuttings to hundreds of people.

BTW the Greenfield fellow mentioned above isn't shipping cuttings any more, but says they are increasingly available at Florida nurseries.

I've heard (but can't confirm from personal experience yet) that plants with woolly leaves make good toilet paper. Some plants mentioned were lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) and mullein (Verbascum thapsus). I'm tempted to grow these and try!

Eino Kenttä wrote:I've heard (but can't confirm from personal experience yet) that plants with woolly leaves make good toilet paper. Some plants mentioned were lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) and mullein (Verbascum thapsus). I'm tempted to grow these and try!

There are plenty of reasons to grow both mullein & lambs ear (which might be very nice for toilet paper). But, this is not something I'd personally recommend as a purpose for mullein. The 'hairs' on mullein are such that they can be very irritating, even to my arms, when I harvest it (for the lung issues for which my husband and I find it very effective). It seems to have tiny barbs? At any rate, it leaves my arms and hands itchy, and red. And, ehhh... my arms & hands are much tougher than the places where toilet paper goes.

Yes—mullein is a plant I have heard called a “rubifacient”—they bring redness and warmth to the skin, i.e. irritate it mildly. People have sometimes used it to give themselves a rosier complexion.

I find that usually, a clump of fine dried grasses is quite luxurious enough. Most often a clump of dry leaves or even sticks will do. There is also corncob, of course, an excellent luxury. Or a folded bit of cattail. Almost anything is good but I consider it that something dry and substantial is best. If one can keep beside the toilet a bale of fine hay, maple leaves, cattail softened by the elements, or other such materials, then that should be a good and sustainable option. Whichever one prefers. And one shall never have to worry about toilet paper shortages. 🤣

Well I'm somewhat fond of my comfort, so rocks/twigs/dry grass would indicate the deepest desperation. There are certain small luxuries one can afford even in hard times.

It would be interesting if someone got hold of this plant and reported back. Obviously it's a traditional, multi-generational and widely used item in Africa. Maybe there is some wisdom we could latch on to.

Carla Burke wrote:
There are plenty of reasons to grow both mullein & lambs ear (which might be very nice for toilet paper). But, this is not something I'd personally recommend as a purpose for mullein. The 'hairs' on mullein are such that they can be very irritating, even to my arms, when I harvest it (for the lung issues for which my husband and I find it very effective). It seems to have tiny barbs? At any rate, it leaves my arms and hands itchy, and red. And, ehhh... my arms & hands are much tougher than the places where toilet paper goes.

Okay, good to know! I'm not personally so well acquainted with mullein (yet.) I guess it's safe to say that the person who suggested it hadn't tried? Lamb's ear it is...

heres another plant i now have to get and trial out , trying to grow mullin ---its taking its time ---so if it was to be used for the loo --well at this rate i would be in trouble --but for the the more traditional fall back ---the loo roll of paper----just got some wooly lambs ear seedlings coming up --may be my lucky choice and thrive better---the above plant plectranthus is tropical and not frost hardy so polytunnel space needed or it dies back until spring ---a long time to do with out ---and it has so many other good uses ---toilet paper you can eat---before use--- would almost be a shame to waste it---but its on my list now for future use---especially now that i have just used my last goose neck.

Thanks for sharing this.  Plectranthus barbatus plant is a pretty plant and it is good to know that it can be used for toilet paper.

Speaking of mullein, I have heard that folks at the lab use it for TP.

Dave's Garden website wrote:
Plectranthus barbatus (Indian coleus) can grow a whopping 10 feet tall. Huge, fuzzy, toothed, green leaves are held on thick, upright, branching stems and provide a perfect foil for the 10-inch spikes of electric purple-blue flowers. The plants tolerate full sun, low water, and appalling neglect, but temperatures below 32°F will level them.  

That's a problem for me.  Sounds lovely, but I'm in Missouri, below 32 is not an unusual state of affairs.

Pearl Sutton wrote:

Dave's Garden website wrote:
Plectranthus barbatus (Indian coleus) can grow a whopping 10 feet tall. Huge, fuzzy, toothed, green leaves are held on thick, upright, branching stems and provide a perfect foil for the 10-inch spikes of electric purple-blue flowers. The plants tolerate full sun, low water, and appalling neglect, but temperatures below 32°F will level them.  

That's a problem for me.  Sounds lovely, but I'm in Missouri, below 32 is not an unusual state of affairs.

Thanks for looking this up. This is definitely in the "frost tender" department, so I need to consider the alternatives that might suit my ecosystem better.

However, some thoughts, regarding all the plants mentioned in this thread:
1. How long do the leaves keep for this use between picking and using? Example, can you stock the loo in the morning for the day?
2. Do the leaves need to be "young" leaves to work well - in other words, will spring Mullein leaves still be worth using in late September?
3. Is the reverse the case: will fresh spring wooly lamb's ear leaves be too delicate do the job?
4. Are there potential downsides?
AI claims

Plectranthus barbatus, also known as Coleus forskohlii, generally exhibits low toxicity to humans. However, it's important to note that excessive contact or ingestion can cause mild irritation, and washing hands after handling is recommended.

my bold
I don't trust the accuracy of AI, but I react to contact of some plants, so I post this more as something to be aware of.

Mostly my thoughts come down to, do I have to grow this right by the path to the Willow Feeder to be practical, and for how much of the year? Since it's biodegradable, picking a few extra leaves that end up unused in the bin isn't likely a problem - mice/rats/squirrels getting at the paper TP is an issue for many people I know who had traditional pit outhouses.

Pearl Sutton wrote:
That's a problem for me.  Sounds lovely, but I'm in Missouri, below 32 is not an unusual state of affairs.

It's no problem! I live in zone 4, and it definitely gets below freezing here. Sometimes for weeks at a time. But i bring in cuttings of my plant in the fall and grow them inside overwinter. I replant them in June.

I ordered this "Charmon of the Garden" plant from Robin Greenfield before that project finished up. I thought it would maybe overwinter in my unheated greenhouse, but it's definitely too cold for it here where I live.

However, I still use it all summer long! I take cutting in the fall before its too cold. I grow them inside. Here's what they look like now. I have 4 different plants currently that I will plant all around my outdoor bathroom after the last frost date.

See the size of these leaves? Just right for wiping! Haha! It grows stems about 3-4 feet tall before the season is over. I know the leaves get bigger in warmer climates.

The leaves will stay flexible and ideal texture for willow feeder use for a few days after they're picked!
Unlike mullein (verbascum), which will leave fuzzy residue in sensitive places, and has created irritated skin there for me, blue spurflower does not. It even has a wonderful, fresh smell.

Thanks for the post. In Hawai'i, I've been growing Plectranthus barbatus as a chop-and-drop space filler with vibrant flowers, but hadn't tried it as toilet paper. After trying it once, I like it a little better than the commonly used Coleus scutellarioides (syn C. blumei); the barbatus seems to have somewhat stronger leaves. My preferred species is still the weed/feed tree Melochia umbellata, who makes soft large leaves. That would be hard to grow in temperate climates though.

I feel like a good bidet should allow someone to significantly cut their TP usage. I also don't think TP is a significant consumer of energy, but I guess if you're a prepper then these leaves could check an item off the list.

Brandon Hands wrote:I feel like a good bidet should allow someone to significantly cut their TP usage. I also don't think TP is a significant consumer of energy, but I guess if you're a prepper then these leaves could check an item off the list.

Fair enough. Though a bidet assumes a fresh water system and a black water system. This requires energy inputs on both ends.

In prepper scenarios, it's generally assumed that the grid might be down. A hardcore prepper would have better options. TP has a surprisingly long supply chain; at a certain point it would more valuable for trading.

Heading down toward the privy, though, old cotton rags can be chopped up, sterilized in a wood-fired cauldron, and reused more or less indefinitely. Grabbing a couple of friendly leaves along the path would be easier still.

Plectranthus barbatus does indeed have a great smell (IMHO, anyway), and is used by some folks here as a medicinal. Good for stomachaches, among other things, and it's something I add to my tea on a regular basis.
It resists mild frosts (here in 9b) but obviously won't survive a Wisconsin winter. In my experience it is a plant that can start taking over (from new sprouts on the plant), grows prolifically, in fact I had to rip it out because it just kept getting too big to keep up with.

To respond to Jay's questions, which I didn't see when I replied earlier...

Jay Angler wrote:
1. How long do the leaves keep for this use between picking and using? Example, can you stock the loo in the morning for the day?

Barbanthus is described as a "semi-succulent", it's hard to describe but the leaves are.... meaty, even though they're fuzzy? I could certainly see them lasting at least a day if not more. They will wither a bit but they're not going to lose much. They take a long time to dry.

I want to add that although I know people use this herb in folk medicine here in Brazil and in other places, it's often confused with something that smells similar (Peumus boldus, Chiliean boldo) that has better documentation about activity and toxicity. I use it mostly because I like the smell/taste, so check your sources before using.

I'd be interested in growing this plant in Europe (middle of France).
Does anyone know of a source of seeds, cuttings or young plants?
I did an initial internet search with very meager results.
I've got experience with growing Plectranthus amboinicus (the round-leaved version), it's a lovely succulent-like mint-like fuzzy-ish medicinal and culinary herb plant Normally I took it in house for the winter, this winter I left it in the greenhouse and it juuust made it. Next winter taking it inside again, phew.
But yes, I'm super interested in this friendly bio-TP-plant!