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Post by synergy on Apr 14, 2013 23:02:46 GMT -5
Can anyone please help me identify this weed? It is prolific in my garden this year whereas I never really had any proliferation last year when that patch seemed to produce a bounty of lambsquarter . If I can identify it I can better determine what to do as I have been making this my 'no till' garden . And as usual I have noclue what I am doing , just flying by the seat of my pants .
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Apr 15, 2013 0:01:09 GMT -5
Lamium purpureum, Purple dead-nettle.
Edible if you like the taste...
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Post by richardw on Apr 15, 2013 4:32:11 GMT -5
That weed is prolific in my garden every year,....so its edible hey,must have a graze on some tomorrow
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Post by synergy on Apr 15, 2013 9:30:51 GMT -5
Thank you . Yes I am giving it a try today and don't mind it as a ground cover, the bees are loving it in bloom so early and the rabbits may like it too .
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 15, 2013 10:20:52 GMT -5
This is not a true nettle, nor is it related botanically to the nettle family. The common name Dead-Nettle reflects the fact that it does not possess any sting.
The white one is used as an herb - it can be used on cuts and burns, and has some other great properties, but I believe the purple one is usually added to soup or stews.
It's got loads of potassium in it.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 15, 2013 11:44:52 GMT -5
Seriously? This IS good news! We were told it was useless to the bees and that it's invasive. We are getting tons of it and probably phosphate resistant - thank you very much idiot "farmer" next door-... However, I also noticed the bees seem to be enjoying it. Not as much as the mustards, but hey, food is food. I'll gather some up and try it.
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Post by davida on Apr 15, 2013 12:19:26 GMT -5
We have it in abundance this year. We thought it was Henbit. Both are edible with the only difference being the stalked leaves: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_purpureum "It is often found alongside Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), which is easily mistaken for it since they both have similar looking leaves and similar bright purple flowers; they can be distinguished by the stalked leaves of Red Deadnettle on the flower stem, compared to the unstalked leaves of Henbit Deadnettle. Though superficially similar to a nettle in appearance, it is not related and does not sting, hence the name "deadnettle". Outside of its native range, it is a common weed of cultivated areas; it is listed as an invasive species in some parts of North America. Young plants have edible tops and leaves, used in salads or in stirfry as a spring vegetable. If finely chopped it can also be used in sauces."
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Post by synergy on Apr 16, 2013 23:39:38 GMT -5
Well I am officially reporting that raw I ate some flower and leaf and it was really yucky tasting ! Sort of a cross between mouth wash and drain cleaner
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Apr 17, 2013 7:00:36 GMT -5
To quote myself: "edilble if you like the taste"...I'm not that fond of the taste dead-nettles myself.
Over here it's a plant that gets visited a lot by bumblebees and early butterflies in spring. Don't know about its behavior outside of the native range.
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Post by davida on Apr 17, 2013 8:48:07 GMT -5
Well I am officially reporting that raw I ate some flower and leaf and it was really yucky tasting ! Sort of a cross between mouth wash and drain cleaner I also tried a big handful while in the garden. I did not spit them out because I wanted to see if they would upset my stomach. Mouth and stomach did not have a reaction but they definitely need help on taste. Jo's home smoked bacon would fix that problem but great bacon should be with eggs or BLT and not with weeds.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 20, 2013 4:49:58 GMT -5
LOLOLOL True that!!! Ya know, I just realized... we didn't eat any bacon yesterday... hmmm... We went to the beach on a field trip though. It was with a group that conducts scientific tours of the intra-coastal waterways and the sea shore. I think our guide was a bit bemused because I kept showing her kelp and seaweed then popping it into my mouth to taste... HMMM... LOLOL I wasn't overly impressed with the flavors, but heck, in a pinch? I will be the last person on earth to starve!!!
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Post by castanea on Apr 20, 2013 20:51:03 GMT -5
Seriously? This IS good news! We were told it was useless to the bees and that it's invasive. We are getting tons of it and probably phosphate resistant - thank you very much idiot "farmer" next door-... However, I also noticed the bees seem to be enjoying it. Not as much as the mustards, but hey, food is food. I'll gather some up and try it. Bees love it and in parts of Europe it is an important bee plant. I have always loved how this plant looked even when I was a kid. When I found out it was edible I was thrilled. Taste is OK, but not great.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2013 14:02:09 GMT -5
I have been identifying weeds for about 20 years, and this was not common in my area, until the pink and purple-flowering varieties were sold as ornamentals.
Our leaves have never looked so succulent, or the flowers so large, unless they find a drip or moist crevice. You must have a very damp climate, for there to be a whole patch like this.
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Post by MikeH on Jun 13, 2013 6:37:38 GMT -5
Any idea what this is? It was a smallish clump last year. Now it's a big clump and I see it in lots of other spots.
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Jun 13, 2013 10:02:15 GMT -5
Galium ssp, but don't ask me what bedstraw species is supposed to grow in your part of the world...
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