Most people when they look around and see plant which were not planted by anyone, they regard these as weeds. However, a lot of these plants are types of weed edibles with nutritional value and can also be used in treating some physical ailments. 

When you look around any backyard, you are likely to see various plants which you can instantly tell were not planted by anyone, simply by their haphazard growth and by their competition with other plants. For most people, these are the plants commonly referred to as weeds. However, a lot of these so-called nuisance plants are actually types of weed edibles which have a lot of nutritional and sometimes, medicinal value. Some weed edibles include the following plants: 

Dandelion (Taraxacum) 

This is a common weed found in most uncultivated land with deep soils. The flowers, leaves, and roots of this plant are all edible. To prepare, this plant, sparingly cook the plant the same way you would prepare spinach. The plant can also be consumed raw. The plant has nutritional and medicinal value. The plant tends to have a nutty taste. 

Chickweed (Stellara Media) 

Although known as a weed to most people, chickweed is pleasant looking and will usually not offend anyone, especially since it grows close to the ground and usually does not clamor for space. It actually has the taste of grass and like dandelion, preparation of the leaves, which is an edible part, is the same as for spinach. It can also be eaten raw in salads, and if one finds the grassy taste unpleasant, some salad dressing can be used. A word of caution though, chickweed can be mildly toxic and so shouldn’t be fed in large quantities to animals. Human beings usually eat modest quantities of salads and so is completely harmless. 

Cannabis (marijuana) 

Cannabis is also referred to as a weed. Those who use the plant for recreational and other purposes have discovered various ways of creating various types of weed edibles by mixing the active ingredient in cannabis, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with various food items. Some people incorporate THC in their baking to make cakes, brownie, biscuits, and so forth. Cannabis can also be incorporated in chocolates. There is also weed tea, weed syrups, and jams. The list is almost endless as you can mix the active ingredient in THC, in almost any food item.  Obviously since growing and possession of cannabis is illegal in a lot of countries, this is not a weed that is left to grow in people’s backyards. 

Conclusion 

Dandelion, Chickweed, and cannabis are just but a few types of edible weeds. Just being aware that a lot of the weeds out there are actually edible should make you curious when you see an unknown plant growing in your backyard. The key thing is that you need to wash the weeds just as you would your everyday vegetables. Some light cooking will usually make the weed more palatable.