# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Gardening >  What weed?

## RangerXanatos

If Rick got to do it why can't I?

There is a type of weed that I see everywhere but no one seems to know what it is.  I've tried googling it but I come up with nothing.  It has a hairy stem and it smells like carrots.  It grows very high, I've seen it up to 8 feet atleast.  If any of you know what it is, is it edible?  Here are a couple of pitures of it...

Whole without the roots
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Close up
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Thanks
Daniel

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## Sourdough

Looks like a limb off a cheap fake Christmas tree.

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## RangerXanatos

My brother said the same exact thing.  Lol

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## RobertRogers

Whereabouts did you find it?  Country, State, Town?

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## BraggSurvivor

> Looks like a limb off a cheap fake Christmas tree.



Now that there Hopeak is fricken funny! Best post yet!   :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:

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## Rick

Wild Carrot. That would be my PRELIMINARY guess. I'd like to see the root and the flower just to make certain. The hairy stem and odor of carrot is pretty distinctive. The early leaves resemble Poison Hemlock except Wild Carrot has a hairy stem. The roots of first year Wild Carrot can be used just like carrots. 

Go over to the plant database, I posted some pictures on Wild Carrot there including the flowers.

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## TrappinGal

thats what i thought. we call it queen annes lace here. ive never seen it 8 ft tall though.

im not sure though because i went out and looked at ours and the plants arent near that bushy.

heres a link to a site where you can see some pics. theres one there of the foilage as well.

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/qal.html

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## RangerXanatos

It's here in the US.  I've seen it all over the southeast, though this particular one pictured is from Elberton, Georgia.  It grows just about everywhere and it doesn't have any flowers.  It's not wild carrot / queen annes lace.   While searchng though, everything comes up with that.  I guess because I put carrot in for the smell.  

Daniel

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## TrappinGal

i have no idea then.

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## trax

Same thinking here on the wild carrot/queen annes lace (that's what we call it here too) but I've never seen anything near that tall either. Funny, when I saw the title for the thread I seemed to remember asking that same question to a LEO who pulled me over on the highway when I was about 19. I may have repeated though, like Weed? What weed?

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## Chris

.... to me it looks like rosemary, not quite, but close, which can get tall, and does have a scent, though, not like carrots. It doesn't look like carrot to me, or parsnip.

They're all members of the parsley family, and they have compound form leaves. This plant definitely does not have compound leaves, not to my eyes. If you Google "Parsley family" you'll see a lot of sources with all the plants in the family, none of which look like that.

Consequently, for you cooks, this is why parsley and carrots go good together.

Here is a list of weeds from that family: http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com...s/Apiaceae.htm

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## TrappinGal

could it be wild asparagus?

heres a pic.


http://www.arkive.org/media/79712109...-asparagus.jpg

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## Chris

nope, definitely not that.  Asparagus doesn't have a hairy stem, and while the leaves look slight from afar, they're actually like fern fronds, very complex.

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## RangerXanatos

I have two people in a class of mine that are avid gardners.  One of them even worked at a nursery.  I'll ask them tomorrow if they recognize it and let you know if they can tell what it is.

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## Rick

If you tell us that came off a fake Christmas tree I'm going to be upset!

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## RangerXanatos

If that's what it is then money doesn't grow on trees, but weeds in my yard.

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## rightcoast

That weed looks like Marestail to me. I'm not certain since it looks a little lush for marestail, but I'd say it is.

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## Rick

Welcome aboard, rightcoast. If you would, how about going over to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself. Your outdoor experience, what you like to do, etc. Things like that.

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## RobertRogers

That is _Polyethylenicus christmasticus_

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## Rick

You are da man, RR! I should have known that. Hopeak proves once again that old men (no offense to old men) have a handle on it.

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## bulrush

Not wild carrot/Queen Anne's Lace. I don't think it's in the carrot family. When I hear "marestail" I think of equisetum, and it doesn't look like equisetum either.

Where does it grow? Sun or shade? Wet or dry area? Border area of field and forest? Rocky areas or rich soil? In a place where it's always wet like on the edges of streams?

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## Rick

Whoa, slow down there Bulrush. You're apt to pop an artery or something. Deep breath. Now, isn't that better?

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## rightcoast

> Not wild carrot/Queen Anne's Lace. I don't think it's in the carrot family. When I hear "marestail" I think of equisetum, and it doesn't look like equisetum either.
> 
> Where does it grow? Sun or shade? Wet or dry area? Border area of field and forest? Rocky areas or rich soil? In a place where it's always wet like on the edges of streams?


Not equisetum, but the other horsetail/marestail colloquially named weed called ragweed a lot by some people too. I forget the name at the moment. Here is a pic of what I was thinking of. I should have looked before opening my mouth.
http://www.shawnature.org/images/Nat...res%20tail.JPG

You are right though, and my initial thought that it was to lush is right too. I've decided it is dog fennel, and I'd be pretty comfortable with calling it that on the pic alone sight unseen. It's eupatorium capillifolium IMO.

Eupatorium capillifolium does contain pyrrolizidine, so don't eat it.  :Smile: 
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/PAs/PAs-toxicity.html

EDIT: Should have added pics. Here is a couple.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/108601.html
http://rcrec-ona.ifas.ufl.edu/BSwpdogfennel.htm
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/162286/

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## RangerXanatos

I think you are absolutley correct, rightcoast.  It's a shame that you can't eat them.  I would have a feast...  The reason I asked about his particular plant, is because I can readily identify it since it's all around where I live and I was hoping to learn the weeds directly around my house that I can eat.  I've looked in Books A Million for the Petersons Guide but they didn't have it.

Daniel

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## crashdive123

RX - I got my Petersons Guides from Amazon for a decent price.

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## RangerXanatos

I've thought about that.  If I don't get it soon, I may just order it with my next order of text books for college.

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## Beo

I know I'm late but Hopeak that was frig'n funny... every time I come back here I laugh my azz off at that.

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## Rick

That's a new one on me. I'd never even heard of dog fennel. Nice job and thanks. Something new I learned today!!

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## wareagle69

peterson books are ok but if you want to truely identify weedsthen buy books on weeds i have two that are invaluable one is by lone pine press called weeds of canada and then invasive plants of the US they will be far more useful to you

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## Beo

Dude Charlie Brown called and said give'um his tree back... lol...

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## RangerXanatos

> peterson books are ok but if you want to truely identify weedsthen buy books on weeds i have two that are invaluable one is by lone pine press called weeds of canada and then invasive plants of the US they will be far more useful to you


Do these books tell whether the weeds are edible or not?

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## wareagle69

no, but here is where cross referencing comes into play, i have found more of what i am searching for in these books then once i have a positive id then i look to the web either wikipedia or wildman steve brill also my usual books that i have on hand but i also look for not only a book saying it is edible but when and what parts and also a way of prepareing the weed which is why i have sooooooo many books with all this cross indexing

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## RangerXanatos

Alright, thanks!  I'm going to have to check them out.

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## bulrush

I did a google image search for fennel and it does seem to match your leaves. What does the root/base look like? 

Not sure if wild fennel is edible or not. Check out these images and see if they match your plant.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...h+Images&gbv=2

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## RangerXanatos

I haven't been able to get the roots/base of the plant.  Everytime I try pull it out, it breaks, hence the picture doesn't have them.

A search of _WILD_ Fennel has said that it is edible:
http://wildfoodplants.com/article/67/wild-fennel

Though _DOG_ Fennel is not edible as rightcoast has mentioned:
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Eupatorium_capillifolium

Daniel

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## Ole WV Coot

If that's a wild carrot, NO WAY would I mess with that rabbit's dinner. Don't have a huge hole around there the size of a small crater do you?

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## Sam Reeves

They used to grow in my grandfather's pasture in Henry county. We always called them cow weeds. I have no idea what they are supposed to be called. The goats used to eat them if that helps.

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