What is a weed but an unwanted plant? Depending on circumstance, a plant that is the bane of one man’s existence may be a boon to another. And yet we often assume that there are certain plants that are weeds and others that are not.

Slow down. Look closer. I’ve found the average untended lawn to be a meadow of hardy, and often useful wildflowers. Here are a few notable ones from Texas (click name for image):

Dandelion courtesy Pensiero(Flickr)

Clover (Trifolium sp.): Once prized as an ideal lawn plant, they have fallen out of favor for some reason. I love the flowers and so do bees. They fix nitrogen in the soil and make good teas. Part sun.

Dandelion (Taraxacum sp.): When did we learn to hate this pretty yellow flower? Every part of it is edible/medicinal, the deep tap root improves the soil, and bees love them. The seeds are also a fun lesson in aerodynamics for any child, but many adults lose sight of this in the quest for a tidy lawn. Euell Gibbons gives a wonderful and more thorough description of the pleasures of dandelions in his book Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Full sun.

Oxalis (Oxalis sp.): This cute and lemon delicious plant, which is often called shamrock or (mistakenly) clover, is a regular snack as I’m “weeding” my vegetable garden. It’s also an easy way to get kids to look closer at the world at their feet. The sour flavor comes from oxalic acid, which is also present in spinach. Consume it in moderation if you have sensitive kidneys and always make sure your feeding grounds are free of pesticides. But don’t hesitate to top your salads with it. Part sun/Shade.

Why do we fight these plants? If we ask ourselves this question, maybe we will start to reconsider pouring tons of time and harmful chemicals into our land to eradicate them. Can’t we find a better use for our energies?

Why not just let them go? They are often productive and grow naturally, without any care. As antilawn.org grows we’ll keep you updated on all of the cool “weeds” you might want to notice.