Weeds can attract pollinaters, among other benefits.
tors, and they wanted to encourage the health of pollinators in our area. Other common weeds, like cat’s ear, purple dead nettle, clover, milk this- tle and ground ivy, are also high- ly beneficial to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Just this spring, I discovered a native Mason bee in the wild digging into a clover flower. As you take a fresh look at your green spaces, here are some thoughts on edi- ble weeds and how to enjoy them. >> Dock leaves are tart in flavor. Use young leaves raw in salads or tougher leaves in casseroles or soups. >> Cleaned dandelion greens and yellow flowers are edible! Make dan - delion syrup or wine and add the greens to salads, stirfry or other hot
dishes. You can also make dandelion tea by roasting the flowers in a 250ºF oven for 2-3 hours until dried. Then, keep in a sealed container in a dry place away from sunlight and steep to taste in hot water for 5-8 minutes when you want to enjoy a cup. The tea is also delicious iced. >> Due to its hairy texture, pur- ple dead nettle is best when cooked, although it is possible to eat it raw. I recommend adding it to soups, quiches or other hot dishes, making a tea to help alleviate seasonal aller- gies, or incorporating it into a salve for soothing skin irritations. >> One of those little weeds with cream-colored flowers might just be a wild radish! You’ll want to pull up
the root on this one – they make fun little quick pickles. >> Thistle’s may be prickly, but you can batter and fry the flowers and make pesto from the leaves. Check out Sergei’s website, his for- aging app (Wild Edibles with Sergei Boutenko), or any of his books, like Common Weeds and Wild Edibles of the World, for more ideas on how to welcome weeds into your life. N
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