Weeds Glorious Weeds - Gardeners' Foe or Botanists' Friend?

AFTER studying medicine, working as a GP and a radiologist, Ian, in his retirement has returned to his love of nature and now enjoys studying botany. He is involved in conservation work, botanical themed walks and is President of Wharfedale Naturalists' Society Ian pointed out that like humans, the older the weed the better the story and some of our most common weeds have a long and fascinating history For example, the common nettle was brought to this country by the Romans, used as a food supplement, as an herbal remedy and was made into fabrics. Spreading by rhizomes under the ground it can colonise large areas very quickly Another way for weeds to spread is by scattering their seed into nearby streams and waterways. The few flowered garlic brought over from S.E. Asia in 1823 is often seen spreading along our riverside banks.

A modern tale of adapting to new circumstances are the plants Ian calls “The Railway Children”. They began to spread profusely after the 1840s when the railways were constructed all across the country, creating wind tunnels that carried feathery, air blown seeds in the wake of the trains.

Rosebay willowherb originally loved to grow on the well-drained, volcanic gravel at the base of Mount Etna in Italy and found its happy place in the clinker laid down between our tracks. Similarly, Danish scurvy grass only started to spread wildly when we began salting the roads in the 1980s, as its preference is salty coastal earth Mammals, birds and insects also have a part to play in distributing the seeds of wild plants, eating the fruits and discarding the husks or seeds. Ian tells the story about how, in 1941, Georges de Mistral took his dog for a walk and noticed the thistle-like seeds of the Lesser Burdock latched onto his tweed coat (and his dog). Years later he developed Velcro, the ‘hook & loop’ system!

A word of warning if you are trying to keep weeds at bay – check over any plant that you buy or are given for stray seedlings before you plant them. But also note that a little gentle weeding and pottering around your outdoor patch is relaxing and good for you!

Wharfedale Gardeners' Group meet at Beech Hill Church, Otley at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of every month between September and May.