The Persistence of Life
What Weeds and Vacant Lots Teach Me
I went to the Toyota dealership for a tune-up, and front brakes. I was given the option of going home on their service shuttle while my truck was being worked on. But I opted to “hang out.” I don’t get out much, and I figured it would be good for me.
Wearing Carhartts and a t-shirt, I carry my bag like a briefcase; iPhone 7 in an outside zip-pocket, hot tea on the other side.
I use the sidewalk until it ends, then cross the road to a vacant lot. It is breezy; warm clouds pile in the south and east, but no immediate threat of rain. It is May.
The empty lot has broken bits of glass or cement, and tire tracks that accommodate spring lakes in clay soil. Wind-blown fast food wrappers, torn and faded visqueen flotsam.
And weeds. A lot of weeds. Vigorous weeds of all stripes! The first that I photograph is a threesome — morning glory, horsetail, and tansy.
Common morning glory is also called bindweed, for its creeping habit. Farmers consider it an annoyance. Landscapers remove it. Both will spray poison on it. And plant honeysuckle, or stephanotis. Like a kudzu vine, or sturdy ivy, morning glory will take over if it is given the right environment.
Therein lies its beauty. Because it loves disturbed sites, it quickly takes over a vacant lot, covering unsightly soil and garbage with arrow-shaped leaves, and funnel-shaped white flowers. And while it is not edible, it is related to two plants that are delicious: sweet potatoes and jicama.
The second of the plants, the horsetail, is known for its running roots that will grow through asphalt or cement, or in the most toxic of soil. Horsetail has a high silica content, and is used historically to bind wounds to stop bleeding, and for use as a scratching-pad for camp dish-washing.
Though considered a noxious weed by gardeners and landscapers, it is listed in the U.S Pharmacopeia. It has a laundry list of useful constituents, including potassium, magnesium, and nicotine.
The last “weed” of the threesome was tansy. By most reckoning, tansy is just a “bad hombre.” Stories abound of how it sickens cattle, or causes photosensitivity if it touches delicate skin.
Further research reveals a plant that is good to saute in early spring, but quickly becomes bitter in warmer weather. Its constituents are allied with relieving migraines, anti-inflammatory action, and digestive stimulation. John Gerard, the 16th-17th century botanist, prescribed it as a spring tonic and gout remedy.
Tansy’s super-power is the resin-y scent it emits when it is crushed. Either fresh or dried, it was long ago used as a strewing-herb in the city streets of London when posh folks went travelling. In fact, it is said that it was strewn for half a mile before King James II on his way to the throne.
I picked some tansy to take home. I hung it on the wall outside the front door; it also repels pests of all sorts. We’ll see how that works out.
And in the post-apocalyptic world, knowing which weeds are edible, which are medicinal, and which are poison by virtue of cleansing toxic soil is a good thing.
Of course, when it comes to harvesting and using wild plants, you will definitely want to know more than I just told you. So please, don’t think this is health advice or anything close.
