I have to admit, there are few things more satisfying than pulling weeds and then standing back and admiring the neat, clean space around your plants.
When I was a teenager, my family moved into a new house. The backyard was a decent size, but one-third of it was completely overgrown with weeds and tangled shrubs. That first summer, my mom got me and my sisters out into the Texas heat, and we chopped, pulled and dug out the mess of green things. The yard suddenly seemed twice as spacious, and we soon planted vegetables in the newly cleaned corner.
More recently, I got to know a friend named Sergei Boutenko (sergeiboutenko.com) who educated me on edible plants in the wild — and in the urban jungle. We as a culture have come to accept that undesirable plants in our lawns, landscapes and gardens are weed pests, and yes, it’s true that weeds compete with desirable plants for nutrients and space. They can also stunt growth and reduce produce yields in your garden while proliferating quickly if not kept in check. If you’ve seen enough TV commercials, it’s likely you’re familiar with the many Roundup ads encouraging you to “point and shoot” and letting you know that “the only good weed is a weed that’s dead.”
Weeds can attract pollinaters, among other benefits.
But, I disagree. If managed well rather than simply exterminated, weeds can also attract pollinators, provide additional food sources, and even bring a wild beauty to your space. The key is to pull (satisfying but may stir up dormant seeds) or cut (keeps the soil intact while removing the parts that are photosynthesizing) the weeds in congested or undesirable places, while leaving a few plants that aren’t in the way or causing damage to your vegetables, lawn or flower beds. On the weedy plants that you do keep, cut flowers and tops before they begin to seed. This inhibits it from spreading prolifically.
A few springs ago, my city’s parks department released a statement asking residents to let the dandelions in their lawns bloom that season. Dandelions attract honeybees, bumblebees, and a bunch of other pollinators, and they wanted to encourage the health of pollinators in our area. Other common weeds, like cat’s ear, purple dead nettle, clover, milk thistle and ground ivy, are also highly beneficial to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Just this spring, I discovered a native Mason bee in the wild digging into a clover flower.
As you take a fresh look at your green spaces, here are some thoughts on edible weeds and how to enjoy them.
>> Dock leaves are tart in flavor. Use young leaves raw in salads or tougher leaves in casseroles or soups.
>> Cleaned dandelion greens and yellow flowers are edible! Make dandelion syrup or wine and add the greens to salads, stirfry or other hot dishes. You can also make dandelion tea by roasting the flowers in a 250ºF oven for 2-3 hours until dried. Then, keep in a sealed container in a dry place away from sunlight and steep to taste in hot water for 5-8 minutes when you want to enjoy a cup. The tea is also delicious iced.
>> Due to its hairy texture, purple dead nettle is best when cooked, although it is possible to eat it raw. I recommend adding it to soups, quiches or other hot dishes, making a tea to help alleviate seasonal allergies, or incorporating it into a salve for soothing skin irritations.
>> One of those little weeds with cream-colored flowers might just be a wild radish! You’ll want to pull up the root on this one – they make fun little quick pickles.
>> Thistle’s may be prickly, but you can batter and fry the flowers and make pesto from the leaves.
Check out Sergei’s website, his foraging app (Wild Edibles with Sergei Boutenko), or any of his books, like Common Weeds and Wild Edibles of the World, for more ideas on how to welcome weeds into your life. N
As seen in the 2024 summer/fall edition
By: S. Michal Bennett
Photography By: Joel Riner