backyard

It’s a jungle out there.

When I was in high school. I wanted to be a field biologist.  But I had a SERIOUS phobia of dead things.  One dead frog and I was hyperventilating.  Especially if it “snuck up” on me.  Dead things can’t sneak, but I mean that it was “unexpected.”  If our high school teacher gave me fair warning, like DAYS, that there was going to be a dissection, I was okay.  But, a dead fish staring up at me when I hadn’t emotionally prepared for it?  Anxiety attack!

Little did I know, I should have been a field BOTANIST.  I love this.  I promise I will selectively weed eat soon, but there are several plant back here that haven’t flowered, so it’s not their time yet.

I have been hanging out on the UT Turf Science Weed ID site.  It’s SO FUN!  The tall shoots you see above, sticking up like cacti in the desert, are (I think) Canadian Horseweed, Conyza canadensis.  It’s in the aster family.  Not poisonous.  This is where I usually stop reading.  “Not poisonous to children.”

For the folks that have progressed past me in their plant relationships, Horseweed is super nutritious, keeps away fleas (also called Canadian fleabane), and great for making fire.  What?  Apparently, the stalks make great “fire drill,” if you’re in the mood for starting a fire the old fashioned way.  Here’s a great site on it.

Next up, we have Canada Lettuce, Lactuca canadensisAgain, not poisonous.  Some people eat it young.  Watch out when it gets older!  A little touch narcotic.  Here’s a site on it.

tall canada lettuce

Below, we have Broad Leaf Plantain, Plantago major.  I think Daisy makes stuff out of this one.  I’ll let her post about it.

broadleaf plantain

In the comments of the first post, someone identified this next plant for me. Poor Man’s Pepper, lepidium virginicum.  Again, here is a great site on it’s uses. No poisonous look alikes.  He even has a recipe for it on that site.

poor man pepper 2

Ooo, next is Ragweed, ambrosia artemisiifolia.  I have to cut this one down before it pollinates.  I’ve never seen it in person before , but my whole family is allergic to it!   Funny thing, if you have heavy metals in your yard, this is the best plant for removing it!

ragweed

Any fun weeds in your yard?