The Hunt Begins

I'm sitting on the front steps, it's 4:30 in the afternoon and still humid as hell. I'm in the shade though, so at least I'm not burning! I live on a main road but I'm still in the heart of Westchester, New York, suburbia; I still get to hear all the birds chirping and the leaves rustling if I take the minute to listen. The front walkway is littered with whatever those orangey-brown things are that fall from the tree that is right outside my window. When it rains, they get water-logged and squish under your feet. It feels really weird if you forget and run outside without your shoes on.

I'm currently watching two big black carpenter ants wrestle. They must have some serious beef with each other cause they're really going at it. Maybe they're fighting over a lady-ant. Or a not-lady-ant, either or =P. Or here's another theory... I always see ants carrying dead bugs. Either by themselves, which is awesome since these things can be fifty times their size, or with buddies, which can be quite clumsy and amusing to watch. You know, that "Listen, I'm the one walking backwards here, I'd like to see you do it better!" dilemma. So I was thinking maybe one of these guys is hurt, he's got a limp; the other one saw and said, "Listen. You're going to die. You better just come with me while you can still walk, it'll make life easier and more dignified for both of us." But this guy said "Nooo! I'm not going to die, I'm going to live! I won't go with you!!" and got physical because he's fighting for his life, you know? Aww.... I just looked up and noticed the sick one died... and his buddy left him there. Maybe it was a scorned lover after all >=P


When I came outside just before I almost stepped on a garter snake =X I've only seen one here once before, probably more than ten years ago! I definitely gasped really loudly at first lol but.... I didn't run back inside and shut the door really quickly. I took a step (or two) to the right, and sat down. Why on earth would I want to do that?? Because I am on the hunt. Not a snake-hunt, no. I am 23 years old and I know nothing of the very world I live in. The one right outside my front door. This little guy here is poking his head out of a crack underneath the stairs, hidden (or not as hidden as he thinks, I guess =P) by the Creeping Charley and Wood Sorrel growing there. These are two of the dozens and dozens of plant species on my property. They are weeds, and I know their names after some thorough research at Barnes and Noble and online BECAUSE?? *drumrolllllll* I want to know!

So here's my plan: In an attempt to identify all (or most) of the trees, flowers, and plants that I pass by everyday on my way to work and around town, I am going to get some practice and learn the basics right here at home. Weeds. What are weeds anyway? Weeds are just plants that we didn't necessarily want where they showed up. I've been looking around lately, and many of them are actually very pretty, too, so I don't know why people make such a big deal about killing them. Maybe I will learn more about that when I have my own property and am trying to make it look a certain way, but until then... =D Shall we begin?

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I have spent this week walking around my yard, taking pictures of every new plant I came across, and reading lots and lots of books and articles at Barnes and Noble and online. Through this research I have positively identified four plants!


Creeping Charlie



This low-lying plant enjoys spreading itself out all over my yard. I can see why they call it a weed, since it's growing expansively. It has rounded and scalloped leaves, and pretty little blue-lavender flowers on it. Here's a little information on it!

Oxalis (Yellow Wood Sorrel)

Part of the fun of this project is finding out that some of these plants are edible!! This plant has distinctively heart-shaped leaves, which are edible in small portions. They taste lemony fresh and I've found recipes that have them added on top of entrees and desserts for a bit of intrigue and surprise! They are high in Oxalic Acid though (hence the name?), which apparently binds to some important nutrients in your body, rendering your body incapable of absorbing them. That's why you can't eat a LOT of them, but they certainly are a tiny favorite of mine =]

I'd like to post an official warning here! When it comes to eating wild plants, DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!! Make sure you have 100% properly identified it first, because finding an inedible look-alike could wreak havoc on you! As with any new food, you never know how you're going to react to it, and everyone reacts differently. So use the utmost precaution!


White and Red Clover

Another edible very common weed is the Clover! The white one is everywhere on my front lawn, they really seem to have popped up overnight! Every year at summer camp I remember other kids telling me they were edible, but I never really knew just what they meant. I would always pluck off a few of the flower petals and nibble gently on the ends of them. Needless to say it seemed really pointless. >_> But the other day I found a few nicely-sized Red Clover flowerheads at my girlfriend's house and I decided this was the best time to really try it out! So I picked off the whole flowerhead, brushed it off, blew on it a little lol and popped it in my mouth! I was really surprised, it was pleasantly sweet! As with the Yellow Wood Sorrel, it was palate-cleansingly fresh too =]

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard was the first plant I tried to identify this week. It grows all the way down both sides of my driveway and I remember always telling my dad they looked pretty and that he shouldn't weed-whack them away. This week I have learned that it is called Garlic Mustard because even though of the Mustard family, when you really crush the leaves they smell just like garlic! These leaves can be eaten in salads, soups, pesto or right off the plant! It is known to be so invasive and have such expansive growth, that there are annual community events around the country dedicated solely to pulling them all up and cooking with them!!

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So with that, my first official Discovering My World post is complete! My next challenge consists of 100% positively identifying two plants with which I have been having trouble with this week. One of them has the long seed pods like the Garlic Mustard does, but growing in a much different way, with little yellow flowers on it. I've been looking everywhere online and in BNN to NO avail, but will keep looking! The other was shown to me again at my girlfriend's house and it's the one I was soo excited for but way too nervous to eat until I knew for sure that it was what I thought it was. Wild Onion!! I will keep you posted!! Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Hunting!
Kris