List of beneficial weeds

Chart

Categories of beneficial weeds

Pest-repellent

• Neem—repels leaf eating insects

  Edible

• Blackberry—blackberries are delicious, and their prickles can form a barrier against some larger pest mammals
• Burdock—roots are edible
• Chickweed —used in salads and also as ground cover
• Cornflower—various colors; can be served as edible garnish to decorate salads.
• Flatweed—leaves are edible raw, while roots are edible after being roasted
• Horsetail—primeval plant that is high in silica; tops are very similar to & may be eaten like asparagus
• Lamb's quarters—leaves and shoots, raw, also prevents erosion, also distracts leaf miners from nearby crops
• Nettle—young leaves collected before flowering used as a tea or spinach substitute. Plants have use as compost material or for fibre.
• Purslane—prepared raw for salads or sautéed
• Shepherd's purse—leaves are edible and often sautéed or blanched
• Watercress—can be eaten raw or cooked; is considered a weed in some cultures

  Habitat for beneficial insects

• Wild blackberry—attracts predatory insects, and produces berries
• Motherwort—attracts bees
• Joe-Pye weed—habitat for pollinators and predatory insects
• Aster—habitat predatory insects

  Shelter plants

• Normal grass can be used as ground cover, especially in nitrogenous soils.

  Trap crops

• Cowpea—attracts ladybird beetle, so planting around cotton fields protects them from sucking insects. It serves as source of food and niche.

  Other

• Nightshade—breaks up hardpan, allowing roots to grow deeper.

  Organic approaches

• Organic farming
• Organic gardening

  Indexes

• :Category:Sustainable agriculture