Weeds are the bane of every gardener’s existence. Choking the life out of carefully planted fruits, vegetables, and greenery, weeds invade gardens, lawns, and flower gardens and spread like wildfire. Gardeners have been waging war against these leafy invaders for centuries, developing chemical products and tools just to get rid of them, and still spending hours pulling them out by the root. However, weeds don’t have to be such an unwanted guest! There are many edible weeds, nutritious, delicious, and earthy, that can be an accidental joy in your home garden.
Almost everyone who has cared for a yard has encountered the dandelion. Their cheerful yellow flowers nestled in a bed of deep green leaves, sprouting a delicate powder puff of seeds in late summer and early autumn are viciously mowed down with a lawnmower or yanked up by the roots by homeowners everywhere. Dandelion greens, however, are sold in many cafes and grocery stores, mixed with other leafy vegetables and eaten just like your favorite salad. This edible weed’s leaves are slightly bitter but sweet and appealing, and the bitter taste can be masked easily with garlic, oil, or vinegar. The roots can also be used, drying and then roasting them in the oven until they are deep brown. The roots are then ground and used as a caffeine-free substitute for coffee!
Dandelion Leaves
Dandelion leaves are full of vitamins and minerals, including trace minerals, which have been discovered to be vital to leading a healthy lifestyle. Dandelion roots can be used to help jaundice, scurvy, and eczema. They have also been found to be useful for diabetes, bowel inflammation, and kidney problems, and they increase the activity of the spleen, pancreas, and liver and are especially effective for easing liver enlargement.
Chicory
Chicory is a well-known weed, especially in the southern part of the United States. Recognizable for its ground-hugging foliage with long, thin stems topped with bright blue blossoms, it is commonly dried, roasted, and added to coffee to give extra flavor and to help mellow the coffee’s bitter aftertaste or used on its own as a substitute for coffee, which produces a sweet, caramel-flavored brew. The greens of chicory can also be eaten, used often in salads, and sometimes known as endive or escarole, which is sold and consumed in some of the best restaurants in the country. The small blue flowers can also be added to your salad for an interesting look. Chicory is an edible weed that is great for your kidneys, stomach, spleen, and urinary system. It can also ease and upset stomach and relieve jaundice.
Chickweed
Chickweed is another edible weed that is found invading the lawns of homeowners all over the country. It has shallow roots and spreads along the ground in a thick mass, covering a large area quickly. The leaves are small and oval shaped, and they defy their delicate appearance by being extremely hardy, even able to live under a thick layer of snow. The weed is also covered with an array of small white flowers, which are edible, as are the stems and leaves. Chickweed tastes mildly reminiscent of spinach when cooked and tastes like cornsilk raw. It can be used raw in salads or can be used as an economical replacement for spinach in any of your favorite recipes.
Chickweed is one of the most amazing edible weeds as it has a huge array of health benefits. It is high in vitamin C, iron, and those vital trace minerals. It is great for reducing inflammation, whether it is internal or external, and can be made into a poultice, dried, or used fresh. It can reduce the symptoms of any sort of respiratory infection, whether it’s bronchitis, laryngitis, or the common cold. It is also good for constipation and other bowel dysfunction.
Purslane
Another edible weed found in many gardens and yards around the country is purslane. It has very thick, succulent leaves and stems, which can be dark green to purplish-red in color. The leaves grow in definite pairs, and the stems can reach up to 20 inches in length, spreading over the ground in a thick covering. The leaves are crispy and juicy, good either raw or lightly sauteed in butter or olive oil. They have a slightly peppery taste. Purslane is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol and keep the heart healthy, sending people on a quest for a heart-healthy diet in search of alternative meats, like buffalo and elk, that are high in these vital acids. In fact, the only plant that is higher in Omega-3 acid is spinach, and, best of all, it’s probably crawling over part of your yard right now!
Burdock
Burdock is an edible weed that grows in most abandoned locations. It has dull green stems and leaves, with tall, branching stems that grow 3 to 4 feet in height. It has large leaves and round purple flowers that are compact and scaled during the early spring and summer. The stalks of the plant can be harvested and eaten before the flower opens. They should be stripped of the hard outer rind and can be steamed or boiled, which gives the plant a flavor similar to asparagus. They can also be eaten raw. Burdock is a natural laxative, and the roots are great for purifying the blood.
Watercress
Watercress is another edible weed that is more well known, as watercress sandwiches are a common tea-time treat.
Watercress is commonly found on the bank of open water sources and natural springs, sprouting straight up out of the water. It has small green leaves on a long stalk and is sometimes adorned with bright white flowers. Watercress is a member of the mustard family, so its leaves have a spicy, almost bitter flavor, but they are a great addition to your normal salad greens. It is good both raw and cooked and is widely used in soups and sandwiches.
Watercress is extremely high in potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It is a good natural antioxidant, and can encourage appetite when eaten raw. It can also be used externally as an aid for acne.
Amaranth is an edible weed that reaches back through the centuries. Aztecs praised the grains of the amaranth, coining them the grains of the very gods themselves and believed them to have supernatural powers.
The plants are bushy and tall with broad leaves and bright red flowers that are bundled in plumes. The seed heads look much like the tassels of corn. The leaves and stalks can be eaten, best eaten boiled or used as a substitute for spinach in your favorite recipe. The grains can be harvested in the autumn and can be dried and ground to make flour or cooked in the same manner as oats, and they can also be popped just like popcorn.
Amaranth leaves and stems can also be frozen to use in the winter. Amaranth is very high in fiber and has more calcium than milk, and it has the ability to help lower cholesterol.
Of course, as with anything else, you must show caution in indulging in edible weeds. There are many weeds out there that are harmful, even poisonous, so make sure that you’ve positively identified any weed before you toss it in your salad. Make sure that the weeds haven’t been treated with any sort of chemical to get rid of them, especially dandelions, as the leaves will absorb the poisons. Make sure to leave a few weeds behind to insure that you’ll have a good, strong crop of food next time!
Research sources:
Goosefoot Acres. Peter Gail, 2005.
Back to Eden. Jethro Kloss. New York: Lancer Books, 1971
Food and Plants. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 2002. University of Michigan.
A Modern Herbal. Maud Grieve, 2005.
