Here are a few edible and medicinal plants you may find in disturbed soils in the Maritime Provinces and also over much of N.A. and even many of the world’s other temperate zones as well, though it is kind of interesting to see what will turn up in some small areas when the soil is dug and left awhile, in fact all these photos were taken on the edge of my driveway where my neighbor had some work done a few months ago on a very small piece of land 25 ft by 6 ft, some of these seeds potentially may have lay dormant for the best part of a century. First up is Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) above.
Pineapple-weed (Matricaria matricarioides) makes a nice tea.
Lambsquarters
Lady’s-thumb (Polygonum persicaria), I find this is one of the better edible Smartweeds.
Peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum)
Hedge-mustard (Sisymbrium officinale)
Sheperd’s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
(Left side) Mallow and Creeping Woodsorrel with the heart-shaped clover type leaves to the (right)
Common Plantain (Plantago major)
Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
Evening Primrose, first year basal leaves.
Sow-thistle, this one is not the same as the perennial Sow-thistle I gather near the salt marsh, this one is an annual.
I’m hoping my neighbour will not mow or lay sod until some of these plants develop seeds for me to collect as I would enjoy having some young shoots for winter salads from at least some of these plants nature finds away to share with itself.
Here is the kind of thing I would do with some of the seeds I’m hopeful to soon gather, above is a bag of Yellow Goat’s-beard shoots from seeds I collected fresh a few weeks ago, they look like grass though they are quite good in salads, Life blows me away with its natural goodness. ciao
These are all edible? Cool! I have many of them in my garden. That picture of the black medic has a ladybug in it. Again, cool!
Most the plants in the photos have edible leaves though some only have certain parts of the plant that are edible or used medicinally, black medick is interesting as it is known for its useable seeds eaten parched or made into flour. There were a few ladybugs and plenty of ants around today and I was happy to find one I could get a photo of near a plant I wanted to show.
I have lambs quarters everywhere!…they reseed like crazy in Texas…
I had forgotten they were medicinal…probably on purpose because I don’t like to kill any plant so I have been ignoring it….I didn’t know the pineapple weed, I have pineapple sage that has an incredible pineapple fragrance
this is a really good post, I will have to check these out closer to awakeness in the morning…
Thank you! as always I leave with knowing it is a good day because I learned something
Take Care…You Matter…
)0(
maryrose
Thanks maryrose, The USDA list no pineapple weed in Texas though New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana have it in a few counties. I learnt something new on this plant today as well as I was surprised to see it listed as far north as the Arctic and Greenland, it’s cool to see a fresh wild pineapple flavour that far north. wow
Love, Love LOVE this post! I am always searching for plants to be identified, and I have some of these growing around me. Thank YOU!!!
Glad to hear this weeday, I always enjoy seeing your striking weed photos from the lovely area you live in. ciao