By Megan Caine
Weeds are generally unappreciated; their nutritious value and long histories of medicinal uses, ignored. After a day of hoeing and hand weeding, it would be especially easy to hate the pesky plants that crowd our precious crops, stealing their water and sunlight. Early on I learned that a weed is any plant which grows where you do not want it. Using that definition, and keeping in mind our desire to control what is growing in our fields and lawns, most plants become weeds. Agriculture and modern medicine have allowed us to entirely discount plants that were once depended upon for sustenance and healing.
An abundance of useful wild plants are found in abundance at Clagett Farm. I have been learning about them through asking lots of questions of anyone who might know, from reading DC public library books, and from experimenting with eating and using them medicinally. Here are some suggestions and a bit of information on some easily found plants
Lambs quarters (left) can be cooked or eaten raw as a salad. Related to beets, chard, and spinach, they are high in vitamins A and C. To cook, sauté garlic in olive oil, add just washed, still wet lambs quarters and cook for just a minute and add salt and pepper. You could also add it to whatever you might put spinach in – sandwiches, stir-fry, soup… Lambs quarters are also found in the city and in parks. Another plentiful weed is pigweed (above right). Best eaten cooked, boil it for few minutes, until tender, and drain. Add salt, pepper, butter, margarine, or olive oil.
Plantain (left), which is as prevalent in the city as on the farm, has long been used for its properties in healing skin irritations and wounds. Fresh, crushed leaves applied directly to a poison ivy rash or bug bite are soothing. Young leaves are good in salads and older leaves add nutrition to soup stocks. Another source of relief for poison ivy and bug bites is jewelweed (above right). Break open the stem joints and gently crush to extract the gooey insides, then rub on affected areas.
Most people have especially negative feelings about stinging nettle (left), but its one of my favorites. Young leaves are excellent cooked as you would spinach, and not to worry - the heat kills their ability to sting. The leaves also make a mineral rich tea.
Mugwort (right) leaves make a calming tea, and can be added to bathwater for the same effect. Dried mugwort is often mixed with other herbs in“dream pillows” to promote an active dream life.
One of the herbs I have yet to experiment with, but am fascinated by is Queen Ann’s lace (left). Among other things, in the Appalachia's it was used by some as a contraceptive.
Interesting, huh? Go off and read more! Get ideas and recipes. When you visit the farm, ask us if we know where a particular weed might be plentiful – or wander and discover what’s growing for yourself.
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