8 Common Edible Garden Weeds

Weeds are often viewed negatively. For some, they are plants that are out of place because they’re not intentionally sown. For others, they are pernicious, persistent, and competitive — to the point that they negatively interfere with human activities. Farmers also consider them as the most costly agricultural pests. 

Then again, not all weeds are useless and harmful. Our uncultivated, unkempt backyards have weed varieties that fall under the ‘edible weeds’ category. Some of these greens are even related to gourmet crops and are, in fact, more nutrient-packed compared to their cultivated kins. These weeds are also more flavorful. 

Read on to find out if you have these species thriving in your backyard.

Edible Garden Weed 1: Dandelion  

This is one of the most famous and common edible weeds, and it’s known for being rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Apart from that, it’s also known to be a good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. The good news is that this weed can be eaten cooked or raw, from its yellow blossoms to its tiny roots. 

They can be harvested anytime during their growing season. When eaten raw, the younger leaves could be bitter, but you can make salads out of their bigger leaves.  If you don’t like to eat raw leaves, you can steam or add them to soups or stir-fry food. Through this, the leaves would taste less bitter. 

The bright yellow flowers can be fried or eaten raw. You can also use the same to make dandelion syrup or wine. The dandelion roots can be dried, roasted, and used as a substitute for coffee. You can even add them to any recipe that needs root vegetables. 

Follow these simple tips to ensure that your dandelions grow healthy in your backyard year after year.  

• Keep your dandelions from invading your backyard by ensuring that they don’t seed and spread throughout the yard. 
• Harvest them like you’re harvesting other green vegetables and good weeds.  Remove the whole plant when they mature or harvest them by only removing some of their young leaves. 
• Avoid harvesting your dandelions from areas treated with chemicals and pesticides or near roads. 

Edible Garden Weed 2: Chickweed

Several types of chickweed belong to the genus called ‘Stellaria.’ However, the term ‘chickweed’ often refers to Stellaria media or the Common Chickweed. This chickweed is native to Europe but is also grown in other parts of the world. You can find them in your backyard and other areas with moist soil and exposed to partial sunlight. 

Since chickweed is a cool plant, they only appear during fall’s cooler temperature in areas with temperate climates. They naturally die during the later part of spring or early summer because of the heat. This is the main reason why it’s called an early spring plant. 

Since the immigrants introduced this plant to North America and other continents as a valuable herb, people thought of many ways to use the plant. The leaves and flowers are edible but take them in smaller quantities as the ‘saponoids’ in them can cause stomach issues. You can eat these parts cooked or raw. The leaves and flowers are often added to pesto, stews, stir fry, and salads. 

For example, you can mix chopped chickweed leaves with daikon radish, carrots, virgin olive oil, kombucha vinegar, lemon juice, and pink sea salt to make a chickweed salad. You can also make your chickweed smoothie by blending chunked avocado, sliced frozen peaches or pineapple, yogurt, and chickweed leaves. This healthy drink will surely keep you coming back for more. 

Since you now know that there are many ways you can consume chickweeds, it’s time to learn how to manage them, so you don’t have to kill them. Check these tips out. 

• Since chickweed grows naturally, you don’t have to do anything to make them thrive. Instead, you need to manage them, so they don’t just grow indiscriminately. 
• Keep them in a given area in your yard by hand weeding the unwanted chickweeds and leaving some for harvesting later. The weeded debris should be removed entirely as the plant’s germination decreases with the seed depth. 

Edible Garden Weed 3: Garlic Mustard 

Garlic mustards may not be native to North America, but it looks like they belong there. This wild, herbaceous biennial plant thrives in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Being biennial, it has a short two-year life cycle. During the first year, it grows as a compact rosette with rough teeth and heart-shaped leaves. In its second year, it starts to grow around 120 centimeters while also developing flower stalks. Its seed pods are thin and green. 

The plant’s soft and young sprouts can be added to stews and soups, stir fry, and salads. You can use its flowers and seeds as garnish. Its thin and long taproot tastes like horseradish, so that you can use it as a substitute for the said vegetable.  If you chop its leaves, you can add the same to your salad or cheese sandwiches. You can also make a pesto sauce out of it to be paired with lamb. They can be added to stews and soups, but they should be done at the end of cooking. Otherwise, your meal will taste bitter. 

Again, since this is a weed, you don’t have to do anything to grow them in your backyard. You need to control this allelopathic plant since it can release chemicals to the soil that could adversely affect the lifespan of other plants. Here are some tips for doing this. 

• Keep them from moving quickly by not leaving a dug area of your garden unplanted. If you can, do something with that excavated yard area. 
• This weed is drought-sensitive, so avoid watering them where you don’t want them to thrive. 
• Refrain from fertilizing them as this would only encourage them to grow.

Edible Garden Weed 4: Lamb’s Quarters 

Often called wild spinach, lamb’s quarters could compete with other common vegetables rich in minerals and vitamins. Then again, foragers should be careful about eating this weed since it contains high levels of oxalates. Too much oxalate can cause kidney stones. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water and consume probiotics to keep the adverse effects at bay. 

It’s distinguished from other weeds by its alternate diamond-to-triangle-shaped leaves that are shallowly lobed or coarsely toothed. It has a powdery and whitish-gray coating, most especially on young, emerging leaves. 

Lamb’s quarters can be eaten raw, sauteed, added to a stew, or steamed. The steamed lamb’s quarters can be added to cold pasta salads, quiche, omelets, and lasagna. You can also use this as a substitute for any dish that needs Swiss chard or spinach. Aside from that, you can also freeze them to a batch of pâté or pesto. 

Here are some tips for caring for the lamb’s quarters in your backyard: 

• Harvest the ripe seeds from your wild spinach (if you have one in your garden) during fall and keep them until the spring. By then, broadcast them and add cow or horse manure to your garden soil. This will ensure a steady supply of wild greens in summer and spring. 
• If you don’t have wild spinach, you can buy ‘magenta spreen’ seeds for sowing directly in dense rows come spring.
• Harvest them in a cut-and-come-again manner. 

Not all weeds in the garden are edible. Some are just pests competing with the plants for nutrients and space. Contact PestGuide for weed control management. Call us now!

Edible Garden Weed 5: Chamomile      

Chamomile is not only great as tea or essential oil, but they’re also safe to eat. They look like clusters of tiny, daisy-like flowers that grow all through changing seasons. While it’s safe to eat these chamomile flowers and leaves, do so while observing these few caveats. First, refrain from eating them if you’re allergic to ragweed, as the plant can also trigger similar allergic reactions. Secondly, ensure that the weed you consume is free from herbicides or pesticides. 

One of the many ways to consume chamomile aside from using them for tea is by adding them as a flavoring of your oatmeal. Crushed or browned chamomile leaves have an apple-like taste, so they’re perfect for your oats. You can also make chamomile liqueur with dried chamomile flowers mixed with lemon zest, honey, and vodka. Allow the mixture to infuse for two to four weeks before straining them well. 

Here are some tips to follow when taking care of the chamomile in your backyard: 

• Plant them from plants or seeds in spring. 
• Since they thrive in cool conditions, plant them in areas where they’re not exposed directly to the full sun. 
• Keep the soil dry and simply allow them to grow on their own. 

Edible Garden Weed 6: Elderflower

Elderflowers thrive in the later parts of May until mid-June. It’s best to pick them when their buds are fully open on a dry, warm, and sunny day that’s away from all the traffic fumes. Shake them first to keep the insects away and rinse quickly with cold water before cooking or using. This fragrant weed is well-known as an ingredient for summer drinks and elderflower champagne. 

You can make fritters with elderflower. Make your batter, then dip the flowerhead on it before frying. Coat them in caster sugar for an excellent finish. You can also use this to make a cordial or a sweet drink that originates from Western Europe. Simply boil the flowers, add sugar, and a splash of citric acid and lemon juice. 

Check out these tips in caring for your elderflowers in the backyard: 

• There’s no need to water them since they’re drought-resistant. However, you might do the opposite if you have the older horticultural varieties. 
• A month after you planted your elderflower, water the base at least once a week if it doesn’t rain. 
• You might need to trim your elderflower once a year if other shrubs weaken it. 

Edible Garden Weed 7: Mango Purslane

It’s essential to identify mango purslane from other weeds like prostrate spurge. Why? Simply because while the former is safe to eat, the latter is toxic and could make you ill. Mango purslanes have plump stems and leaves. This plant grows in big patches at the edges of the sidewalk or yards. They grow in wide-spreading dense patches that are close to the ground. 

The taste of this plant is often described as slightly sour yet pleasantly sweet. Because of this, its crispy leaves are great additions to any kind of salad. Some people also enjoy adding mango purslane to casseroles, potato dishes, rice, pickles, soups, and stir fry dishes. 

Read these tips to ensure a steady supply of fresh mango purslane in your backyard.

• Your purslane has to grow in the clear ground and part sun. 
• Although the plant is not particular about nutrition or soil type, they grow best in dry soil. 
• Once you scatter purslane seeds in a chosen area, refrain from burying them in soil. They need to stay on the surface to absorb light for them to germinate fully. 

Edible Garden Weed 8: Wild Violets

Also known as Viola odorata, wild violets are distinct for their purple-blue flowers and heart-shaped leaves. Other varieties have yellow or white blooms. This plant is considered biennial or annual; it often self-seeds and comes back every year in surprising locations. 

This edible weed’s flowers and leaves can be used in wraps, sandwiches, pesto, and salads. Leave the roots uneaten as they can cause vomiting and nausea. You can also steam or saute the leaves. If you want, you can stir them into your soups to thicken them. The flowers can also be used as a garnish for your pancakes, cakes, or salads. You can even freeze them into ice cubes or make them into candies.  

Here are simple tips for caring for your growing wild violets: 

• Place them in areas where they can enjoy light shade or direct sunlight. 
• They also grow best in soil that’s moist, well-draining, and filled with organic matter. 

Managing Garden Weeds with PestGuide

While there are edible weed varieties that you should keep, there are also plain and downright useless weeds. Keep your backyard free from these pernicious weeds. With pre-emergent weed herbicides, unwanted weed growth will finally be remedied. Contact PestGuide now.

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