WhatFinger


July Gardening

Weeds: If You Can’t Beat Them, Eat Them



According to a French proverb, bad plants don’t die. Weeds, which may be defined as plants growing where they are not wanted, may yet find many a use. Despite those “Rank weeds, that every art and care defy,” as the Rev. George Crabbe labelled them in his poem 'The Village,' many in the past have been put to good use by rural residents.

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Over 30 years ago, Pamela Michael recorded amongst other uses for “wild plants and herbs” a startling number traditionally used to make wine: balm (Melissa officinalis), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), blackberries (Rubus fruiticosus), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), crab apple (Malus sylvestris), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), gorse (Ulex europaeus), hawthorn (Crataegus monyna), tilden (Tilia vulgais), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), oak (Quercus robur), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), rose hip (Rosa), rowanberry (Sorbus acuparia), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) must have kept English country folk suitable impressed to raise a glass to Crabbe’s “rank weeds.” Many a weed has also found its way into country cuisine. There are, like, way more dandelions this year, notes humourist Scott Feschuk in a recent issue if Maclean’s magazine. Alas, he tries to eliminate rather than utilize them. Young dandelion leaves make a fine salad, the roasted roots can be ground to make an ersatz coffee, older leaves create a soup while flowers and roots have both been used to create natural dyes. But Feschuk might do well to avoid in overindulgence: in Newfoundland dandelions are known as piss-a-beds. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a cursed weed in Ontario, yet the foliage and flowering top make a tolerable veggie. Like many wild and weedy offerings, however, it requires light cooking in salted water or about 10 minutes. The water is then discarded and replaced with fresh water and the greens again brought to a boil. This reduces the otherwise bitter taste. Other weeds similarly prepared for the table are shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), young shoots of milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album) and its cousin, Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus). The young leaves of sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), picked before it blooms are nutritious salad greens advises Richters Herb Catalogue, which also notes that when in flower it is used as an aphrodisiac. Meanwhile, that terror of the garden and greenhouse, chickweed (Stellaria media), can be reduced to a soup. Perhaps you can’t eat it, but maybe it can be reduced to a tea. Catnip (Nepeta cataria), often found growing wild in large colonies, is an old favourite taken as a nightcap as, again according to Richter’s Herb Catalogue “it induces a good night’s sleep.” The dried, ground roots of chicory (Cichorium intybus) have long been used as a coffee substitute. Indeed down in Louisiana regular coffee even in restaurants is often served blended with chicory to create a unique beverage. The leaves of the wretched ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) that may become such a menace in shaded lawns are yet another candidate for a cooling summer beverage. The flowers of both red and white clover (Trifolium pratense and T. repens) are also used to make herbal teas, as are the flowers of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) Troubled by household pests? Flowers of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) are said to repel both ants and cockroaches when sprinkled in cupboards while fresh stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) discourage flies. Tansy also produces yellow and green dyes, nettles shades of green, gold and chartreuse. Chicory leaves yield a beautiful blue. The roots of clivers or cleavers (Galium aparine) produce a red dye. Flowers and foliage of coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) have been used to produce a range of colours ranging from gold through yellow to tan. The use of weeds to alleviate medical conditions and promote health in general is fraught with controversy. Some swear by it, others at it. However, most agree that the stings inflicted by nettles may be reduced by rubbing the skin with the crushed leaves of dock plant (Rumex crispa) or perhaps plantain (Plantago major). Likewise, the itching of poison ivy is relieved by liberal use of crushed foliage and stems of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), as both its common and botanical names suggest, provides an excellent mild soap. So gentle is its action in fact, that conservators of fine fabrics continue to use and recommend it along with those seeking natural shampoo for their hair.


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Wes Porter -- Bio and Archives

Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.


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