What exactly is a weed?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “weed” as:
“a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth”
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weed)
Let’s break that down a bit. A “weed”:
- is a plant (duh!)
- is not valued (which is subjective and depends on the person)
- is not valued where it is growing (meaning the same species could be valuable in one spot but not valuable in another)
- usually has vigorous growth (so it could probably spread all over your garden pretty easily)
In other words, a weed is not defined by its species but rather by its lack of value to someone. So one person’s weed could be another person’s treasure.
What I reflect on when I’m weeding
With that in mind, here are some questions I ask myself when I’m weeding in the garden:
- Can I eat it? This is one of my main considerations. Many species considered weeds are edible–and some are actually quite tasty! Some of my favorites include Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Chickweed (Stellaria media), and Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica syn. Polygonum cuspidatum).
- Does it have other value? Even if I can’t (or don’t want to) eat a particular plant, it could be food for other animals (like bees), benefit the soil, be medicinal, or provide beauty. Some of my favorites in this category are Plantain (Plantago spp.), Clover (Trifolium spp.), and Grasses (family: Poaceae).
- Do I even know what it is or what it does? This relates to my first two points. If I’m about to pull a plant that I don’t know much about, I may give it the benefit of the doubt and leave it alone. Or better yet, I may try to identify it! I’ve discovered some great edible species this way, like Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) and Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum).
- How abundant is it? Even if a particular plant species is valuable to me, if there’s a lot of it in my garden already, then I’m more inclined to remove some of it to make room for other plants. On the other hand, if it’s the only one of its kind that I can see, I might leave it alone to maintain biodiversity.
A real life example
A couple weeks ago, I was clearing out a section of the garden to make space for a new planting. Check out the video below for a practical example of how I decided what to leave and what to pull.
In summary
Whether or not you call something a “weed” depends on what value it has to you. Many plants that are commonly considered weeds actually provide food, medicine, and beauty for humans and other Earthlings.
So the next time you’re about to pull out a “weed,” ask yourself: What is this plant? What does it do?
You might discover something new. 🙂
DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this article should be taken as advice to eat anything. DO NOT eat ANY plant unless you are ABSOLUTELY SURE that it is safe to eat, not even if I said that it’s safe to eat. Because I could have made a mistake, or you could have misidentified a plant. Although many plants are safe to eat, some can make you sick or even kill you. So when in doubt, throw it out!
Did you learn something new? What do you think about my weeding strategy? How do you decide what a weed is? Let me know in the comments below!
Salut Earth Doctor! Loved the ‘Weedy’ YouTube, especially the fun pop ups! You were the one who taught me to love the Wild Weedy-Ones, and I offer bows of appreciation! Although, I ate all kinds of ‘weeds’ as a wee lassie pretending to be a horse! ;o) Children must be very careful these days, as most of the collective douses Round-Up Ready and other gnarly poisonous chemicals on the land and lawns.
Nettle, Purslane, Violets, Dandelion, Field Penny Cress, Colts Foot, Burdock root, Yarrow, and the newest Wild-One, Mullein, have been some of my favorites to be in relationship with. Remember when you dried an entire jar of Nettle for me? I ate the entire jar, when it was meant to be steeped as tea. ;o) heeeeee Horses will be horses, eh! ;o)))
Here on this wild mountain in Nederland, Colorado, I have decided that all who live here belongs. I do not weed and am attempting to cultivate wild flowering plants on the land that will support the hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators, as well as root systems that will retain the much needed moisture within the Earth. I am learning about various local Wild plants and their medicinal properties and experimenting with mindful wildcrafting. A recommended book: THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERBALIST’S BIBLE-9 BOOKS IN 1 BY GREEN WITCH
As a macrobiotic chef and practitioner, I find that many plant-people, that are considered to be weeds, are extremely beneficial to our health, because they are adaptable and strong rooted. Wild Food may be what we end up returning to to nourish ourselves???
“The only difference between a flower and a weed is judgement.” — Wayne W. Dyer
Wild Weedy Blessings of Exploration,
Lumi
Hey Lisamarie!
Thanks for taking the time to write!
I’m so glad you brought up the point about pesticides and other chemicals. That’s one thing that I didn’t touch on in this article or the video. Pesticides are a concern, and one needs to be careful where one collects plants to eat. So even if a particular species is edible, if a plant is doused with pesticides, it’s best to avoid it. The same goes for plants growing near other sources of chemical toxins, like roads (chemicals from cars).
Nettle is good food for sure! I think it is one of the more nutritious wild greens around here in terms of protein content. From what I’ve read, stinging nettle prefers nitrogen rich soil, and I think it incorporates that nitrogen into protein. And once it’s cooked or dried, it doesn’t sting any more!
That’s great that you’re leaving all the plants be! I recently found out about a thing called No Mow May. Check it out! https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/no-mow-may/
Love the Wayne Dyer quote. I think that encapsulates a lot of what I want to convey in this article.
Happy Spring!
Taylan