| WEED OF THE MONTH |
November |
Ramsons - Wild Garlic Scientific Name : Allium ursinum |
| Here they come, the dread Ramsons. They are good to cook with - but you can only use so many. And, like the unwelcome guest, once they arrive they are hard to get rid of. |
Ramsons is a bulbous perennial in the Liliaceae Family, common to damp woodlands and hedge banks. It is said that bears awakening from hebernation eat it to cleanse their metabolism and regain their strength leading to one of the common names, Bear's Garlic and the species name derived from the Latin for bear. The broad, bright green leaves start into growth in spring and flop over at their widest point. They have a characteristic garlic smell, so should easily be distinguished from similarly shaped leaves of Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis), Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale), both of which are toxic. As the flowers mature the leaves begin to fade. Between April and June the flowers appear. They are white and star-like in a broad umbel on a leafless stalk and are normally self-pollinated. Later a seed pod replaces each flower, as they mature the seeds turn black and show through the outer skin as it becomes transparant.All parts of the plant are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. Ramsons also has great health giving properties and is said to be more potent than cultivated garlic, A. sativum, in this respect. It has antioxidant properties which reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and the juice has antiseptic properties. The active ingredients are more concentrated in the leaves. There are many sulphur compounds - Allicin is named as the main benificial one and also gives it the typical odour. The leaves are gathered in the spring before the flowers open and can be made into a pesto, eaten in sandwiches or chopped and used as a garnish in salads, soups or in mashed potato. The elongated bulbs can be harvested in the autumn for use like cultivated garlic. Given all the health and culinary benifits it may not be unwanted, but if it has become invasive removal is necessary, digging it up is not usually successful as there are many bulblets and seeds. A systemic weedkiller such as Glyphosate applied in the spring, should eradicate it. A selective agent will also be effective and is useful for the N. American relatives mentioned above which tend to invade grassed areas. Re-treatment will be necessary due to the reservoir of seeds. |
August |
Common Chickweed Scientific Name : Stellaria media
Height - up to 30 cm, but usually prostrate. |
July |
Buttercup oxalis (Bermuda buttercup) is sometimes grown as an ornamental. It has compound leaves, each consisting of three heart-shaped leaflets resembling clover leaves. Flowers are attractive, but are a nuisance when they spread into gardens or shrubs. Flowers occur singly or in clusters on the ends of slender leaf stalks; each flower has 5 yellow petals. This species closely resembles woodsorrel but often grows more upright, has more showy flowers, and reproduces largely by bulbs.
Means of spread (from RHS) Spreading by bulbils Spreading by seeds |
June |
| Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). Click here for RHS advice on control. |
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| Webmaster: John Bennett. Email: jb@john-bennett.com, www.hayle.net |
This is an annual, but is also ephemeral as it can mature and produce seed in 5 to 6 weeks, so there can be several generations in a year; later germinated plants may overwinter. It forms a dense mat, smothering other plants; flopping stems root as they spread. Seed can remain dormant for many years, germinating when the ground is cultivated and this can be from 25 to 40 years. Some viable seed have been recovered from bird and animal droppings and ants are known to carry them away as well. However, if ground is cultivated for a few years and the plants are never allowed to mature, the amount of germination reduces to very little. It is probably the most common weed worldwide.
