Though it may seem odd to forage weeds as a source of food, there are many weeds or wild plants that have superior nutrition and medicinal properties. Throughout time foraging skills were used to protect against famine and cure illnesses. Many of today's medicines originated from wild plants. The active ingredient in aspirin, for example, was originally derived from the bark of the willow tree. Foraging, harvesting and using wild plants, or weeds, is the ultimate survival skill. The key is to know what can be safely consumed. Identifying wild plants, harvesting them and using them properly is a lifelong learning process. Below, is an introduction to the most common weeds in the United States and their uses.
Identification of Weeds
To become skilled at identifying weeds, you must learn what the leaves look like in each stage of development. Observing the plant up close and at a distance during all stages of its development can help you locate it and correctly identify it. Many weed identification books classify wild plants by their flower blooms and color. This is another way of positively identifying a weed before consuming it. It is essential that you do not consume anything you are not certain you can identify because some plants have poisonous look-a-likes. Most states have agencies that will assist you in identifying wild plants and weeds.
Clover
The most common forms of clover are white and red. White clover can be found in lawns throughout the US. White clover reaches about 6 inches in height and usually has clusters of 3 leaves, but of course most people have searched for and found a rare four-leaf clover.
Despite its name, red clover is actually lavender in color. Red clover is larger than white clover, reaching 2 feet in height, and is often found in fields. The entire areal part of the plants (leaves, stems and blooms) of both red and white clover can be eaten in salads, infused into tea or dried and crushed into flour. They are found in the spring and summer seasons and can be eaten or used at any point in their life cycle.
Plantain
Common plantain grows in lawns and reaches heights of 1/2 a foot to 1 1/2 feet. The leaves often stay close to ground level and the blooms tower above on tall stems. It has broad leaves that are ribbed. Plantain blooms are easily identifiable. They occur June through October and they are also green. Plantain can be found in the spring and summer seasons. Small plantain leaves are eaten in salads or boiled and eaten as greens. Large leaves become stringy and are not very palatable.
Dandelions
Dandelions are also found in lawns throughout the US. The single yellow bloom appears early in the spring and quickly turns to seed that many young children enjoy blowing. The leaves have an long, irregular, and jagged pattern. The leaves stay close to the ground while the large yellow flower appears up to a foot above ground. Dandelions appear early March through September. The entire areal part of the plant can be used for salads, teas, or cooked as greens. The roots are often dried and ground for making coffee and tea. Dandelion is good for detoxification of liver and kidneys. It is a natural diuretic that is loaded with potassium which is often depleted by diuretic medications.
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Heather Schulte - Heather Schulte is a freelance writer based in the Midwest. She writes web content for a variety of publications such as Suite101, eHow, ...
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