We fenced the yard for the dogs last summer and that necessarily created some new disturbed soil. This soil welcomed the seeds of a couple of native plants, and they’re growing happily against the fence. One is white avens, and another is blackseed plantain. They’re not new to Owl Acres, but they have claimed a new space.
Dark green, deeply veined leaves with saw-tooth edges, slender flower stalks bearing delicate, 5-petaled flowers with green centers. White Avens grows twined into the chain link fence fabric.
White avens (Geum canadense) stands about two feet tall and is in full bloom in mid-June. Each of the tiny white flowers at the top of the plant has five bright white, rounded petals surrounding a green center. Each flower stands on its own individual stem in a cluster of three flowers at the ends of the upper branches. They’re each about half an inch across. Clusters of little brown seed capsules will replace the flowers later in the summer. They will have tiny hooks that they’ll use to go walkabout with furry transports. Its leaves and stem are kind of rough, with tiny hairs on the upper and lower surfaces. The leaves grow in groups of three near the bottom of the main stem and singles higher up.
Native to North America, this plant is a perennial member of the rose family that spreads mainly by seeds. It has evolved in North America along with walnut trees, and, unlike most other plants, it is happy to grow in the shadow of the king of nuts where the walnut leaves and roots try to poison everything in their zone of influence. As a native plant, it has also co-evolved with specific insect species including several aphids and a moth whose larvae specialize in eating the white avens leaves. (The moth, Tinagma obscurofasciella, doesn’t seem to have a common name.) The little white flowers attract a variety of bees, flies and other pollinators, some of which go for the nectar and some for the pollen.
Due to its reputed antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, white avens has traditionally been used as a tea or a poultice to combat a variety of ills. The root, it is said, is edible and tastes like cloves although I haven’t tried it myself.
Blackseed plantain, (Plantago rugelii) is also growing happily between the sidewalk and the fence. Its name is the same as the banana-like fruit that tastes so good when fried and honeyed, but that’s as far as the connection goes. Instead, its very name from Old English declares it to be a common weed. Those who study medicinal plants might disagree, but it is generally considered a nuisance weed.
Broad, elliptical leaves and tall stalks, each stalk bearing hundreds of tiny flowers. Blackseed Plantain grows in the fence, too. This lawn weed resists mowing by growing from a tight, low-to-the-ground rosette that the mower simply passes over.
The blackseed plantain is a perennial with an unmistakable growth pattern. It starts out in the spring with a rosette of smooth, oval-shaped leaves around its base. The leaves grow to be up to eight inches long and three to four inches wide. They effectively cover the ground around the base, inhibiting growth of anything close to it. The roots produce toxins which kill root-knot nematodes, further safeguarding its space.
When it has claimed its ground, it starts sending up thin spikes that rise from the roots and reach 18 to 24 inches tall. Starting about a third of the way up, the spikes are covered in tiny greenish-white flowers. Each spike may have up to 300 flowers, and the plant sends up from one to nine spikes generally. The flowers are wind pollinated and produce dull black seeds contained in capsules that split open to release several seeds at a time. The seeds are sticky when wet, which probably helps them cling to fur and clothing.
The early spring leaves and the seeds of the plant are edible. Medicinal uses due to its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties include poultices, teas, salves, and tinctures.
These two plants look very different from each other. They have different growth habits, different chemical properties, different uses. And both are considered weeds. But what is a weed except a plant growing where you didn’t want it? I’ll leave these two where they grew and just enjoy knowing them.
Photos by Author