The difference between an herb and a weed is that an herb has a story, while a weed has lost theirs. This loss of context occurs in many ways. Plants brought across continents for agriculture, landscaping, medicine, or by accident often end up in places where few people recognize them. Meanwhile, traditional ecological knowledge of native plants has been repeatedly suppressed since settler cultures came to dominate California. Non-native “weeds” become invasive when they take over an area and prevent native plants from growing. For example, in your roaming, you might see clouds of yellow flowers gathering on the hills– these are likely mustard plants interrupting the grasslands. You may also see thorny brambles piled high in the understory of creekside forests: Himalayan blackberry taking advantage of some previous disturbance. You are also likely to encounter a spiny plant with flowers like purple asterisks: milk thistles spreading their seeds. There are innumerable methods for tackling weeds and restoring balance to these ecosystems. Some prefer timed mowing, while others favor herbicide. Others still pull them by hand. As a seasoned land steward, I have utilized all of these methods and more, but my favorite method of controlling invasive weeds is to eat them.

In invasion ecology, we have a concept called the Rule of Tens. In general, 10% of non-native species escape human cultivation and establish wild populations. Of that group, only 10% (or 1% of all introduced species) become invasive. The majority of this 1% was brought here for a reason. So who are these plants that are so present in our shared ecological consciousness? Mustard was introduced by Spanish missionaries along El Camino Real, the road connecting the Catholic missions, to create a trail of yellow flowers reminiscent of the pilgrimage routes of Spain. Himalayan blackberry (actually from Armenia) was planted in Santa Rosa as a food crop. Milk thistle was introduced by the Spanish as a medicinal plant that protects the liver. If you look into any invasive plant, you will be tugging on a thread of stories that could be as old as Catholicism in Spain. By learning these stories, we learn how we can integrate these plants into our lives as well as a little world history.

So the next time you see tenacious weeds, ask yourself, “Could that one be turned into a pie? Could this one help me next time I catch a cold? Could that one be a tasty stew?” As you forage for these botanical newcomers, you will also be reconnecting plants with their stories and stewarding a landscape– removing invasive seeds while feeding your community.

***Disclaimer: before eating anything harvested from the land, make sure you are absolutely certain you are not eating a poisonous look-alike, and that the plants you are eating from have not been sprayed with herbicide or other harmful substances.