Cursing the Weeds

Anyone who has worked the land, even a small patch, has encountered weeds. Sometimes a plant is called a weed simply because it grows where it is not wanted. Many weeds can be considered aggressive: They are hardy, grow quickly, and hog resources.

Indeed, some weeds grow larger and taller than desired plants so they can get the good stuff. Some even suppress the growth of other plants. Yet weeds can be useful, even helping reclaim damaged land and reduce soil erosion. Dandelions are edible.

Multiflora rose is a weed, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen

Some plants look good, but they are weeds. Goldenrod (also called ragweed) is an enemy of people with allergies. One name of Achillea ptarmica is sneezewort (wort means plant). Multiflora rose was actually brought into the Americas to help with soil erosion, but it was realized that the plant should have been left alone.

Some weeds are deceptive. Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares, and tares (called darnel, cockle, etc. can be poisonous) are very difficult to distinguish from wheat. The farmer planted wheat, but an enemy sowed darnel seeds and when this was discovered, it was too late. Can/t be pulling up those things because the wheat would be ruined, so both had to grow and then be separated later.

Yes, God created weeds along with other plants. Adam was expected to weed the garden. At first, it would be no big deal. After Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and many things changed.

No matter where you live, you can be sure there will be weeds thriving in your garden. I happen to live in central Alberta, Canada, hundreds of miles north of the US border. Our colder climate is considered to be a 3 on the climate scale, as opposed to the warmer 5–7 zones in the Great Lakes area. So our climate is not particularly warm, but that does not bother the weeds. They can outcompete many crop, ornamental, and natural plant communities here just as easily as elsewhere. They do this by grabbing a larger share of the natural resources that all plants need to thrive, including light, water, mineral nutrients, and space.

The rest of the article is cultivated and growing at "Those Cursed Weeds!" You can read it or listen to the audio by my favorite reader (and some bonus content at the end).