Not the Grumbleweeds or the Tumbleweeds but the good old honest humble weeds. Those little plants that, sadly, just happen to be growing in the wrong place.
We pursue them to oblivion with hoe, spade or chemical weapons, whilst pandering to our F1 hybrids and half hardy annuals, yet rarely give a thought to what they actually are. So I decided to photograph one or two, before decapitating them, and look up what they are.
This is one of the Speedw
ell family. I’m not sure which one as there are so many, but they all belong to the genus Veronica. Named after St Veronica who is supposed to have wiped Christ’s forehead on the way to the cross, and later found his image on the cloth. According to folk lore, you will get your eyes pecked out by birds if you pick the plant ! The name Speedwell is probably to do with the supposed many healing properties of the plant, which included use as a blood purifier, for skin irritation, smallpox, measles, cancer, kidney complaints and just for good measure, it can also be used for sore eyes.
Here we have Shepherd’s Purse. So named because of its delicate triangular seed case resembling a shepherd’s purse of old.. It came originally from southern Europe and western Asia, and those purses are so prolific that it has spread all over the world as far as North America. Again, it has been used medicinally for hundreds of years, mainly as a means of stopping bleeding both internally and externally, for example haemorrhoids !
This little plant is an immature example of the Spear Thistle, and you can already see the needles. When I first got the plot, there were some mature plants that were real monsters, with tap roots that went down to Australia and spikes making it well worthy of it’s name. All parts of the plant are apparently edible, if rather bland, though there wouldn’t be much left after removing those spikes. Fibres from the plant can be used for paper making, and the fluffy seed heads make excellent tinder for fire making. Medicinally, a poultice can be made from it to treat arthritis.So there we have it, from my little plot I can make some paper or a fire, treat my arthritis, and if the need ever arises, even treat my piles !
I enjoyed your blog. I tend a small patch, mostly flowers and herbs. I also have a love-hate relationship with weeds. Your blog made them so lovely...and they are, what with all the medicinal purposes. But the only way I once got rid of a huge thistle was by pouring some cooking oil down the center over a period of days. Better than chemicals, I hope!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kittie for your kind words, they are fascinating aren't they when you look into them.
ReplyDeleteHmmm,cooking oil eh, I'll have to try that one.