Beyond the Weeds: Virginia Pepperweed

 

Weeds are the bane of the gardener. Growing up, it was a constant battle to rip out crabgrass, Johnson grass, pokeweed, plantain, dandelions, and other weeds before they could outcompete our veggies and bury productive plants under an onslaught of vegetative fury. 

I never stopped to wonder what a weed was or why they existed in the first place. It was just part of the continuing battle between humanity and nature. Humans needed to tame nature, control it, and make land productive and bountiful. Nature was chaotic and sought the opposite - to be wild, sprawling, and inhospitable.

Yeah, the book of Genesis and Louis L'Amour were big influences when I was a kid.

But what is a weed, really? Just another plant. One that humans don't want, don't like, and haven't really figured out how to exploit. They're survivors in most cases, capable of adapting to the chaos humans leave in our wake and thriving in the disturbed sites we call "productive" land. 

Sometimes, they're plants that colonizers seek to demonize because of their importance to indigenous cultures they're trying to suppress. Sometimes they're food and medicine we've forgotten how to use (looking at you, dandelion). 

For the inaugural Beyond the Weeds, I want to talk about Virginia pepperweed, sometimes called "Poor Man's Pepper" (Lepidium virginicum). I've noticed these around my property before, but this year they seem to have taken off. It might also just be that I'm noticing natives more and more. I've gone so far as to cultivate several patches in my backyard, along with Bidens alba (Spanish needles) to support native pollinators.

What Is It?

Virginia pepperweed is a native wildflower. Its native range spans most of North America, including here in Florida. It begins as a low-growing, basal rosette, but quickly develops tall stems that bear clusters of lovely white flowers. It's actually part of the mustard family, so it's related to mustard and other brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.).

Is It Edible?

Yes, it's both edible and medicinal. The young leaves can be added to salads and are high in vitamins A and C. The seeds are also edible and taste like black pepper. Different parts of Virginia pepperweed were also used extensively by Native American tribes to treat croup, asthma, scurvy, rashes, and cough, and to improve heart health and as a diuretic. 

What's It Good For?

Besides food and medicine, Virginia pepperweed is also a native host plant for two butterfly species: the Checkered white and the Great Southern white butterflies. It's also very attractive to our native pollinators, particularly native North American bees. 

You can learn more about it at the Florida Wildflower Foundation. 

The more we look at nature around us, the more we realize that our designations are meaningless at best and harmful at worst. Denigrating something like Virginia pepperweed as a noxious weed (within its native range) does a huge disservice to pollinators and the planet. So, let the weeds grow :)