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For this much effort, there just HAS to be a payoff, right!?
I’ve been out picking an inordinate number of weeds from our property. It seems that every weed whether it be actually listed as noxious or not, has taken up residence here on the Farm this Spring! It’s been a very wet year so far which makes for a gorgeous, green and lush landscape with lots of thriving plants and pastures.
And then there’s this. Pineapple Weed. Pretty enough, it is everywhere right now. You see, on our property we’ve had pigs for years and we’ve put an addition on our house. All of this means lots of exposed dirt that’s been stirred up and ready for every crazy weed that blows by to settle in and spread like wildfire. Pineapple Weed is definitely one of the top contenders in our pastures and landscape right now as we try to reseed and control what’s growing. Although I still haven’t found a use for the Penny Cress or Hoary Cress (click here to read about that), I have some redemption with Pineapple Weed! Hooray!
Pineapple Weed is a Wild Chamomile! It’s fern-like leaves are dainty and pretty. Prior to blossoming, I’ve read that they are even good in salad. You would have to collect more than a few to make a salad so, clearly an add-on. The buds are where the real gem is, tho!
They are a yellow-to-green like cone that, when you bite in to tastes mildly of pineapple… fruity… sweet.
The most obvious application I suppose, would be to clip the cones and dry them for a cup of tea (I’m definitely doing this!), but there are lots of things you can use Wild Chamomile for!
I searched my foraging and herb books for uses and found recipes for eye-packs and a destressing herbal bath.
Wild Chamomile can help with digestion, muscle aches, insomnia, pinkeye, congestion and allergies. I even found a recipe for Chamomile Vodka! Hmmm….
Some people can have an allergy to Chamomile although I have read that it is rare, but please, use caution.
While I am trying to pick this out of my yard, I may just add a large pot of it to my garden. It is suggested that you don’t plant this in your yard as it can have a tendency to take over (as I’ve seen here), but since it has some great benefits, I’m definitely not object to growing it more purposefully here on the Farm.
So, that’s it! There’s my little ray of sunshine on this very rainy, very weedy weekend on the Farm! If you’re a local and don’t have this going crazy on your farm, stop on by and take all you want from me! There’s no way I can pick it all!
