The definition of a weed is: A plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.
I get it, weeds are not welcome. I pull them out of my fruit and vegetable and flower garden beds as they compete with my plants for the precious nutrients in the soil which helps my plants look better and my produce taste better too. But the other day I was thinking about weeds after a chat with a farmer who was gearing up to spray his fields to eradicate weeds so his crop would yield more and be more economically viable. My thoughts were about what makes a weed a weed..
Mother nature didn't create weeds, she simply created plants right?
That's what a weed actually is, just a plant that nature has brought into being, and which evolved over millions of years and which grows like any other plant; it converts nutrients from the soil, water and sunshine into growth and carbon dioxide into sugars and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis - it grows. All plants do it. The word weed is a human invention and concept, nature has nothing to do with it.
The field in the image above, those pretty purple and yellow flowers...they're weeds - using the human definition of them - and someone says they have no place in nature, certainly in Australia.
The purple one is called Echium plantagineum, more commonly known as Paterson's Curse or Salvation Jane here, and it's an invasive species - introduced - not native. Common, and naturally occurring, in parts of Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia it was introduced to Australia, South Africa and the United States and (here at least) is universally hated by primary produces as it can cause the death of animals if eaten in sufficient quantities.
Seeing rolling hills covered in these purple flowers in country areas is a beautiful sight and is usually accompanied by another introduced weed-species called Oxalis pes-caprae, (Soursob, Bermuda buttercup and other names more commonly) - the yellow flowers in the image above. It can be a spectacular sight but fields of Salvation Jane is becoming more rare as it's typically sprayed for the noxious weed it is it's considered by humans to be.
I totally get it, these plants, and others, cause problems for humans (and the environment and animals sometimes) but they cause those problems because humans have brought them to places they should not be in the first place.
Is that nature's fault? Nope, it is not. Human beings think something looks good and figure it'll be a great idea to take it from where it grows to somewhere it should not be and they do the same with fauna species as well; examples in Australia are the fox, rabbit, red deer, wild pig, cane toad and many others. All brought here by humans for one reason or another and all of which cause huge damage to the native species and the delicate ecological balance that exists in Australia.
I'm not suggesting that the plants should be left to take over unchecked, that would be a nightmare situation; I'm suggesting that human beings should take greater responsibility with the planet in the first place and if that means leaving things alone and where they are supposed to be then so be it. We think we're the masters of the universe but nature rules this planet and will do what she wants to do eventually (long after we're gone) and I don't think the way humans influence it, the damage we do, is going to end well for us...I believe the planet will take action (already is) and balance will be returned and that won't go well for humans. Extinction events have occured in the past and will again - I can only hope so for the planet's sake anyway.
Nope...I don't want weeds in my garden and I pull them out or deal with them in other ways but weeds are simply plants in the wrong place at the wrong time, often because of the influence of humans...it's not the plant's fault.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
Here in the US people are starting to let some areas grow wild. I think that has more to do with the declining bee population more than anything. It's a good start... I kind of feel the same way when people lose their houses to wildfires. They used to happen all the time it's just our intervention and expansion that makes them multiple times worse than they should be.
That's exactly what it's about because no bees, no us. I agree with the wildfire comment also, we exacerbate the issues with "progress."
I agree. I like to consider weeds as plants that are growing in the wrong place. As you've said, you take out weeds/plants that are growing in your vegetable garden. One or two small plants growing in the middle of garden grass, or near landscaped garden that throw the beauty off are considered weeds. But in mountains, forest, or basically anywhere in the wild, they are just regular plants.
The problem is when these plants, (we call weeds), get in the way of human beings...that's when plants become a pest...I think humans are the pest, a plague on the planet.
Oh I agree. I've seen a lot of media call humans a virus of the earth. And they're not wrong. We invade everywhere and bring a lot of damage with us.
Indeed, it's like humanity have no respect for the plant that sustains our lives. Strange really.
People like to take a lot of things for granted. What's bad is that they only realize its importance once it's gone or almost gone.
Very true.
I love that Paterson's Curse/Salvation Jane is both of those things XD Actually think it says a hell of a lot about people in general (similar but different to glass half full outlook).
Meanwhile the kids were always happy to find soursob xD
not to be confused with soursop
Yep, soursop is a completely different thing. I'm not sure I've ever seen it here, have you?
I feel like I have once at Spud Shed or some Asian place but I'm really not sure (from memory I don't like soursop so it's not something I'd look for).
Yeah, I don't think it's something I'd like. Let's compare.
Donuts or soursop
Pizza or soursop
Tacos or soursop
Fish and chips or soursop
Fucken anything or soursop
Yep, the results are in...soursop no Bueno.
Weeds are plants alright but they are the bad ones, just like you have in humans. No matter how beautiful they look on the outside, their intentions are evil. Over here, we have a lot of weeds that are indigenous but they grow everywhere they are not needed and compete with food crops to reduce their yield or even exterminate them.
Yeah, they cause some problems at times I guess; I know some humans who are weeds and need to be eradicated also.
Hi Galen, I liked the quote, the reflection on the "weeds" and the photo, which is a good aid to the understanding of the text. Those flowers are really beautiful. About the quote, it occurs to me if the same could be said about human beings (as a species): "Human beings are also Nature's animals; once you get to know them". Have a great day.
Thanks mate, I liked the quote too, seemed quite relevant.
I'm watching a series on Netflix about the planet currently and it's fascinating...how things came to be. It goes back millions and billions of years and it's incredible to see how things have evolved...and then comes human beings and things start to turn to shit. Still, there's been extinction events before and I think there will again and maybe that'll put an end to the plague that humans have become on the planet.
I hope you have a good day...mine is over, home from work and pretty happy about it.
Around here the day is going well, stopping for a while to get on with work in a few minutes. I'll look on Netflix for the series on plants. No wonder at all that you find this series fascinating. I'm fascinated by the world of fungi and their symbiosis with forests.... Big hugs and enjoy the end of the day.
It's called: Life on our Planet
Another good one is: Secrets of the Neanderthals
I take note, I think tonight I will start with the one about the plants. Thank you very much Galen
I hope you enjoy it...It's about animals too, such great images...A Steven Spielberg/Amblin Television thing. Great visuals.
I take note again; thank you very much for the suggestions.
You are right, many species of both plants and animals are taken to places for which they were not born, simply because humans arbitrarily decide to do so, and then things like the ones you describe happen.
The weed is a human concept, it is nature and it will do what is necessary because it is the original weed on the planet. May it be the best for the earth.
What matters is the planet, without it there's nothing else right?
That's right, but most of them don't care... the earth will swallow them up... I'm so bad...
Totally agree plants introduced suddenly not accepted, sounds familiar to many aspects in life.
Once asked by brother why he left his weeds in the lawn, "it's green was the response, and it grows", doing hand weeding not relying on chemicals become tedious, guess what the weeds thrive in my garden now. Flat tap root that has tiny white flowers, keeps green through winter, happy butterflies, bees and ants, leave them alone they're green!
I think human beings tend to have the desire to control everything, make things do what they want, look the way they want and so on...sometimes just leaving nature to herself is a better way to go I think. But humans are meddlers and the planet suffers for it.
Sadly true we mess with everything, muck it up and walk away acting innocent.
Is there any established order in the laws of men?
Always in their favor, of course.
Nevertheless nature has its own, and in many ways it will let you know it.
In my classes for the cultivation of sugar cane, the professor made much emphasis on the fact of what happened when the plantations were set on fire?
Obviously, it was right, but still obviously wrong. He was obviously a progressive professor and very perceptive when it came to assessing the short and long term impacts on the effects of that action on nature:
Then, we violate Mother Nature's own concepts at our convenience: food, money, advantages, pride, and a lot of imbalance.
The plants called weeds can be left covering the soil to avoid the loss of humidity and to favor the survival of all those little bugs that provide nutrients and oxygen to the plants.
We better control and regulate our plots in a sustainable way, don't we?
I know you are aware of this.
Uff, I was able to catch up with your posts, if you need help with the gold mines don't hesitate.... haha, but I still liked the attitude of Mr. Multipurpose or other....
Oh, and excellent home maintenance list, you are a very forward thinking and thrifty man....
Excellent day to you!
I believe there are better ways to live side by side with nature and the planet but humans are always looking for more, better, faster and so on and so they seek to dominate the planet rather than move in time with its ebb and flow. We are destructive to it and delude ourselves that we care and that the small things we half-heartedly do to mitigate the impact we've had is actually enough to repair the damage.
I don't see that this course if action is going to lead anywhere good but there's people out there who disagree with me.
Time will tell what effects the way humans treat the planet will have on it and humanity itself and I think it won't go well for us. The planet live on in whatever way it does, humanity will not.
Yes, it will be...
So, when man destroys soils and the environment where will it go?
I have no idea how much fertilizer is applied in Ukraine to harvest sunflower, millet, but I imagine that it is quite a lot, when they call it the breadbasket of the world....
Tons of profit is estimated, but not loss....
Clearly it will be something that will happen beyond our generation...but if there is no balance it will happen....
I remember the movie Avatar.
Oh yeah, there were some good messages in that movie for those who cared to see them.
It is exactly the same way we see that on the road or in a rough place, by itself, the flowers that are there, the plants that are there, start to come out and no one takes care of them, and then they start to grow. Before I did not know the difference between these two, after reading your meat, my knowledge has increased.
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it.
I love wildflowers.
Like you said, it is not their fault we took them where we later regretted it, but for real, when it first began, we didn't know what we were doing or what it would cause.
That's kind of funny in a light hearted way. You know the saying, be careful what you ask for. They not only did well for the folks that moved them around, they loved it where they have come too and are still doing well, from a plant's point of view that is.
I think about things like dandelions though, where humans try to eradicate them all the time and I read they have lots of medicinal value. I always think nature produces a cure for all human ailments and I wonder if somewhere we are making our best efforts to eradicate our cancer cure.
We're SO smart ! ha
Oh yeah, humans are just so clever huh? Masters of the universe.
The way we keep taking but giving nothing back (on a broad enough scale) leads me to believe we're on borrowed time. I'm sure the dinosaurs didn't expect what happened to them and yet...all gone. Humans will end up the same way. A meteor striking the planet or our own doing, either way we'll be gone and the planet will start over.
Today I was in the cottage, where we have a garden and from the area where we grow strawberries, I pulled out the weed that grew there. I remembered this post and also the story and weed when i was young.
The part of the land where vegetables and fruits are not grown, was always kept under wild grass and weeds, which is actually a treat for cattle.
I remember that every day my brother and I went to work in the uncultivated field and plucked weeds (štir- Amaranthus retroflexus), which we used to feed the pigs. How sweet the pigs ate that weed back then, like a real treat. probably because it is in their genes to feed on wild grass (let's say, weeds).
Weeds (otherwise known as plants) have their place in the world...humans often disagree though, sometimes it's even justified.
Human always wants to do what he thinks is good for him. And sometimes, we just want to feed our curiosity by trying out something. Sadly, some of those trials have turned out harmful.
Yes, the planet is the unfortunate victim of humanities' hubris.
Some weeds are very beautiful, just like these ones in your photo, it just breaks my heart that they are so irrelevant, unwanted and gotten rid off.
Like you rightly said, they should be left alone already, in their natural habitat.
The flower of a weed can be just as beautiful as the flower of any other plant; it's human beings that label the weed a weed and not always is that label deserved.
Thank you for sharing.
This is one of the knowledge I got from your post about Weed Plants.
I got very good knowledge today.
It's good to learn new ting right?
Yeah, that's very true.
This new thing becomes new knowledge for us.
Weeds are plants... and I believe everything has its purpose...however, we humans, tend to take something out of their natural habitat , thus taking it from its natural purpose... creating an imbalance... and .... 😶
Ok... I will make this simplier... there are some things that we should leave alone in the first place. 😁
Yeah, pretty much what I say in my post.
Nice idea. 😊
Yep.
A weed is a weed. No matter how beautiful it is. 😅