What are weeds?
From a natural and scientific point of view, they don’t exist. There is nothing that a lab or microscope could detect that would designate a plant to be a weed.
No. The category of Weeds is a human invention: a sociological imposition on what is growing quite naturally. Weeds are messengers, signaling deficiencies. Weeds are Nature’s first responders, bringing in therapeutic prescriptions.
Simply put, a weed is something someone doesn’t want growing where it has decided to sprout.
But in fact, weeds are unsung heroes. They’re trying to heal battered, depleted ground, harnessing power from above and activating life energies below. By covering the soil, they cool the planet. How cool is that?
Weeds know when and where to pop up. And they do so with the most admirable gall. It could make one weep (hand-raised). They germinate on steep cliffs, sometimes in a crack in the concrete. They push on against nearly all of the odds. They propel a life force, perpetuating growth and abundance.
They know many deterrents, yet they persist. They mutate and adjust. They lessen their incredulously meager rations. With very little, they accomplish so very much.
If it’s calcium that’s needed, dynamic weeds with pioneering deep roots, accumulate nutrients stored far below. If structure is needed, fibrous rooted weeds will build multiplicitous pathways of bacteria rich zones, holding the situation together. If nitrogen is needed, transmutory weeds may appear with magic microbial power, pulling in nutrients out of the air, and storing it in little nodes upon the roots’ surface. And when the situation is really bad, armored weeds show up with thick spurs and spikes, telling potential predators to back off! They’re working!
Weeds build soil. They absorb and store water. Weeds combat erosion. And studies are showing they can prove to be more nutritious than the kale you buy at the supermarket. https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/weeds-growing-in-poor-city-areas-more-nutritious-than-store-bought-produce
So the next time we stumble upon the concept of or even an actual “weed” – let’s stop for a moment to remember who’s perspective we’ve assumed.
Happy Planting!