A few mullein plants, which we called tobacco weeds on account of their soft leaves and ramrod straight yellow flowers, grew along the fence line along the cow path.
A story that I wholeheartedly thought to be true was the plants had escaped from tobacco fields years before. Unlike in Wisconsin, where tobacco production was economically important, tobacco farms were about as rare as hens’ teeth in Minnesota. Truth is that mullein weeds mostly grow along railroad tracks and in disturbed soil.
We also held firm to the belief that sticky milkweed milk helped treat cuts, blisters, and burns. Mother, who was no stranger to home remedies, did not contradict the practice.
Milkweed has taken on much greater importance with people who practice alternative medicine. They believe that boiled milkweed can effectively treat asthma, arthritis, stomach ailments, gallstones, and more. Native Americans also used the plant for medicinal purposes.
Milkweed also benefits monarch butterflies and other beneficial creatures, and milkweed fluff are stuffed into expensive pillows.
An organic farmer told me that he has tremendous respect for all weeds because of their ability to adjust to different herbicides and cultivation practices. In response to a question, he said organic producers have different weed species to deal with than conventional operators.
A weed that’s been called the most dangerous one in North America is potentially a problem for both groups. Palmer Amaranth, native to the southwest U.S., first appeared in cotton fields in the southeastern U.S. and spread fast. The weed, which grows rapidly and can reach taller than 10 feet, devasted some cotton fields. Each plant can generate 400,000 seeds.
Researchers were confident in the late 1990s that the Palmer amaranth couldn’t tolerate glyphosate, but it adapted quickly and soon it had resistance to it.
Source: agweek.com
Photo Credit: GettyImages-LARISA SHPINEVA
Categories: Minnesota, Livestock, Dairy Cattle, Rural Lifestyle