weeks later, i have finally rid hugel island of the aforementioned unknown weed. after pulling up and burning at least a thousand pounds of it (without exaggeration), i have finally identified it (see pic to the left).
wouldn't you know? another "himalayan" in our midst!
it is interesting to me that this region, which is home to some of the oldest mountains and the second oldest river in the world (the "new river") -and is one of the most diverse bioregions in the united states- graciously accommodates the himalayan variety of plants to the extent of invasiveness.
we might never make it to tibet, "the plateau of the world," but it seems we have our own little himalaya right here.
what's in a name? during our journey here in the hollers, i've grown to like "weeds," perhaps i just identify with them.
they are hardy, and are better survivors than their cultivated peers.
they roam freely, reproduce prolifically, are resistant to stress, and thrive in harsh uncertain environmental conditions. when all else fails the "weeds" will prevail.
a weed is just a wild plant with a bad reputation.
a weed can be an invasive nasty bugger, like the himalayan knotweed above ... but it can also be a nutritional source of food, a helpful indigenous healer, or a simple burst of color that serves to fuel helpful pollinators of the fields.
below is a group of weeds in no particular order. they simply caught my eye as the most perfuse unknown inhabitants of hugel island (besides the himalayan knotweed), photographed as i came upon them during my first days of the great eradication.
if you can add any information to their entries, please do so in the comments!
seems that this is a medicinal weed, with a long tradition of usage.
most commonly used today in treating flus colds, and fevers.
medicinal attributes best conveyed through water or alcohol.
tinctures and teas.
gather leaves before bloom, flowers and leaves during bloom.
the indigenous used the root as well.
there were at least three of these located on hugel island.
leafy elephant's foot (elephantopis carolinianus)
this wild flower, like so many on hugel island, is of the aster family.
i'm not certain of any purpose that it fills, except maybe to hold the soil in place?
while it's ground leaves look edible, i have not found any information regarding its use as either a food or a medicine.
they seem to be pretty prolific on the island (like plantin).
also known as cleome spinosa
this plant originates from the tropics of south america and was quite a surprise when it arrived with it's palmate leaves in the garden.
it's an "old fashion" plant, poplar in gardens from the early 20th century.
formerly of the caper family, it is said that its seed pods produce a mustard seed substitute.
its leaves are used for medicinal qualities.
there's two of them: one at the old burn pile and one at the edge of the vegetable garden.
i found this little lovely while weeding the himalayan knotweed.
it released a whiff of spearmint/peppermint quite different from the mint we transplanted. it puzzled me, with it's short leaves -so un-mint like.
it is a great food source for butterflies, bees, wasps, etc, and the crushed leaves can be used to make mint tea. i've harvested the spent flowerheads as well as the leaves. i'm certain there is some health benefit from all the mint family plants although i have found none listed for this particular species of the pycanthemum genus.
there were two of these, the one i pulled while weeding may not survive.
this species is prolific all over the island, and hardy enough to still have flowers after the recent low temperatures at night.
it is an attractor of both birds and butterflies and a favorite for the riotous deer to forage.
the purple aster genus tends to have medicinal qualities in other species which makes me curious as to whether this particular species might also be of use medicinally. perhaps next summer i'll have a go at experimenting with it, since it's flowers are aromatic.
also known as rattlesnake weed, chinese basil, shiso
this member of the mint family is a plant that was introduced from asia as a decorative accent and border plant in victorian gardens. in japan it is used much in the way that basil is used in the united states.
it has a long history of usage as a medicinal, as well as food source for humans in china, japan, korea and india. one useful trick is to crush the leaves to use as an insect repellant -especially useful in keeping ticks at bay.
it grows abundantly on the property and i look forward to experimenting with it as food and medicine during the growing season next year.
also known as burr marigolds, stickseeds
in complete and utter frustration of being covered head to toe in the prickly fruit (or seeds) of this plant while weeding, i eventually pulled most of them up, only to discover (after the fact) that it was used as an herbal medicinal in the past. dr. phelps, a nineteenth century herbalist says the root and seed are useful as an expectorant for bad coughs.
apparently, it is also an edible food source, the young leaves serve as a cooked green.
blue mistflower (conoclinium coelestinum)
another aster family wildflower...
a nice splash of color in fall and something for the butterflies and bees to feed on.
there is no medicinal use that i can find.
they're as abundant as the beggarsticks here but have no burr seeds to invade my clothes and hair, so i left them all standing.