Beautiful weeds... confessions?

~NB~

Following up on the discussion of native wildflowers vs. weeds... do you grow any? On purpose? I think a lot of people do, and a lot of them don't know that they are sometimes called noxious weeds.

In a small, confined area, that is very dry and sunny, I have Ox Eye Daisies. A beautiful weed sold in many nurseries. It is alongside Verbena bonariensis and Salvia 'May Night'.  In the dry sand at the bottom of these tall plants I have some sedum and some Hens & Chicks.

This tiny area is very important to my butterflies (and the birds that come to murder them).

Ok, I feel cleansed.

onceuponadisaster

My parents have a stand of japanese knotweed. Since it's one of the most invasive species of wee, my parents decided it was just easier to tame it, rather than try to eradicate it year after year.  Every year they pull out and burn shoots that are away from the main stand, and by mid-summer, it does look like a nice bush in the yard. 

It is really pretty, and it's a shame that it's so invasive 

pdxmouse

Actually I have something growing right now that's really pretty in a frothy almost like cosmos (but short w/no flower) way. My mom thinks it might be a native carrot and I kind of love it but definitely did not plant it. Next week we should play "weed or not".

I also just bought (bought!) some native dogswood violets. Also inside-out flower. Both of which can be hard to eradicate, so hopefully I like them well enough. Oh, and ladies mantle, but I was assured "it isn't a thug".

Magdala9

When I bought my house, I inherited a beautiful full grown burning bush which is such an invasive species that they don't allow it to be sold in nurseries.   I also inherited a ton of violets, which have spread across the entire back yard and are also considered invasive.   

I love both and won't get rid of either. 

Emmii's Ocean

I actually don't mind the little yellow flowers that grow with clover. I have a bunch growing in my flower bed, and I'm just leaving them.

RiverPlate

Emmii's Ocean:

I actually don't mind the little yellow flowers that grow with clover. I have a bunch growing in my flower bed, and I'm just leaving them.

I love these too!  They grow around my hydrangea and I leave them alone.  They're so cute and little.  I cut them to put in little glasses around my house. 

I also love Queen Anne's Lace, and I won't get rid of those either.  They always seem to have bugs in them though, so not coming in the house.

samfish2bcrab

There are large patches of clover in my lawn.    SO large that to be rid of them would mean big patches of bald lawn.   They're getting bigger every year, so I really should do something but at least they're green.

goldenjes

We have had vinca/periwinkle growing on a hill beneath our backyard "tree area" (crabapple, apple, and plum thicket).

It was pretty, especially in the late summer/fall when we looked at the house.  We never realized how much trash (fire extinguisher, old socks, chewed nerf balls, plates, etc) was hiding under the 3' high vines until I started pulling them out the next spring.  I didn't keep up on the area & they grew back quickly, but only 1' tall or so.

This year we're starting to actually do something with the area so we are constantly pulling out the vinca.  It is a serious PITA.  I don't know if the root systems are just crazy underground, but there is also a patch in the front foundation bed I've been trying to kill too.

FoxinFiji

LOL I love a lot of weeds for both their flowers and their spreading nature. 

I have an extensive collection of ajugas, dame's rocket is invasive but it's almost too pretty to pull, violets, vinca minor, creeping jenny, and we have lots of honeysuckle we plan to eventually rip out most but until then I enjoy the different colored flowers they have.