Is it a Weed or a Wonderful Plant?

by Cathy Bylinowski, MU Extension Horticulture Instructor

​The plants described below are edible. They have their good and not so good characteristics depending on their location and your gardening goals. The information below can help you decide whether or not to allow them in your garden or yard and use them as cooking ingredients.

Lambsquarters- Chenopodium album
Human have  eaten Lambsquarters for thousands of years. While this common weedy species, Chenopodium album, probably originated in Europe, ancient seeds of related species have been found by archaeologists in the U.S. Tender leaves and seed clusters are best eaten boiled, steamed, or stir fried. The taste similar to spinach and contain vitamin A and C.

If left to grow it can get a woody stem that is difficult to remove. If left to go to seed, the plant can become a difficult to control weed. 
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Lambsquarters grow in full sun, in disturbed soil and garden soil. It can be found on woodland edges and shaded areas. Do not harvest from fertilized agricultural fields or fertilized soil in your garden or yard as nitrates can accumulate in the plants’ tissues to an unsafe level if eaten in large quantities. Pay attention to the where the plants are growing and pick leaves from plants growing in unfertilized or nutrient poor soils. 
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Concerns over oxalic acid content in lambsquarters can be overcome by cooking the greens before eating them. Rhubarb, spinach, and Swiss chard also contain oxalic acid. 

Lambsquarters Iowa State Integrated Crop Management Bob Hartzler

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Purslane- Portulaca oleracea
Purslane grows close to the ground and can form a thick mat. Its leaves are flat, thick, and succulent. The edible variety has small flowers. This plant is related to Rose Moss, an ornamental annual that many people grow in their flower gardens.

Purslane, known in Spanish as verdolaga, is used in Mexican and other cultures’ cuisines. It has a tart flavor and crunchy texture. It can be eaten raw or included in stir fry dishes. If you harvest purslane from your garden, yard, or wild places in your neighborhood, be sure to carefully wash the leaves and stems before using.

Purslane is a plant source of omega 3 fatty acids that scientists and doctors state are beneficial for heart health.
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Vegetable seed companies sell cultivated varieties of purslane.  

Purslane Image by Wikimedia Images Pixabay

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Wild Violets Viola sororia
Violets, with their blue and purple flowers, are a welcome spring sight in many yards unless the homeowner insists on a turfgrass-only yard. Many violets in the yard can indicate moist soil and shady areas. Too much shade makes it difficult to grow a vigorous turfgrass lawn.

Some gardeners allow violets to grow in their yards and take advantage of their tender spring leaves and flowers as an addition to salads. They contain vitamin A and C. If you are ambitious, you can candy the flowers and use them for cake decorations!
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Wild violet leaves are the host food for caterpillars of several Midwest fritillary butterfly species. Leaving some violets in your yard supports butterfly and native bee biodiversity. 

Creative Commons/Wikimedia Commons, by Cbaile19

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You can decide whether these plants are weeds or wonderful after educating yourself about these and other wild edible plants. Like other annual plants that produce many seeds, lambsquarters and purslane can take over disturbed and bare soil unless they are picked and excess plants are removed.
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Important points when collecting wild edible plants:

• Careful, accurate plant identification is essential. Be cautious. If you are not sure of a plant’s identification, do not eat it. Get the assistance of local MU Extension Field Specialists in Horticulture or other reliable sources for plant identification.

 

• Get permission of property owners before harvesting.

 

• Harvest at least 50 feet from roads due to possible soil contamination from the days of leaded gasoline. Avoid harvesting wild edibles growing near older buildings that could have had lead paint in the past. Also be sure to harvest from areas that have not been sprayed with pesticides or from agricultural fields that have had applications of fertilizer.

 

• Learn about wild edible plants from experienced foragers who know how to identify local edible plants.