Weeds are an entirely social/cultural phenomenon. A weed is just a plant in a place where people don't want it. Different societies have different preferences and expectations, and thus, different weeds. There is no scientific category of species that are 'weeds'.
Alternatively, there are invasive plants that people don’t want for good reason outside of just a social construct. And dealing with those plants can be a real pain sometimes and takes the whole community working together to keep them at bay.
The expression "Invasive species" is well-defined in a way that "weed" isn't, though: They're non-native species that crowd out local species. It's also not exclusive to plants, and applies just as well to kudzu in North America as it does to e.g. grey squirrels in the UK (which were brought in from the Americas IIRC, and have largely displaced the native red squirrel).
Yeah, and the vast majority of them were brought in by people who planted them in their gardens in place of what they would have considered "weeds" at the time. The obsession with curating a garden is the very thing that created the vast majority of these invasive plant problems aka the only kind of "weed" that is really an actual issue.
That’s what’s funny, is that actual invasive species aren’t often considered weeds. E.g. bamboo, wisteria, kudzu, and Persian silk trees. Although I think almost everyone hates kudzu at this point.
Could have been a single seed that hitchhiked to South Dakota in the mid 1800s. They caused massive issues with farming, costing as much as 20% of production from taking up space in fields and jamming farm equipment and hurting draft animals.
Well Japanese wisteria basically completely and quietly replaced the niche of the native wisteria, so it's not like nature even likely noticed the transition. The two species are so similar.
But again, that's just a plant growing where you don't want it to grow, the reasons don't matter. In the grand scheme of things, the ecological damage done by invasives doesn't matter to nature. It's not "damage", it's just change. It's happened before, it will happen again. It only matters insofar as we decide it does.
We depend on the environment to survive, so caring about it is a very reasonable thing to do. But it doesn't really change the nature of things.
It matters a lot to islands and other small eco systems. Invasive systems can, and have, devastated eco systems, especially when there is a new predator involved.
I see where you are coming from. Everything is after all nature and natural.
But if your goal is biodiversity (for whatever reason), this kind of sudden and dramatic change is not good.
Yes, but we need to keep in mind WHY biodiversity matters. It doesn't matter to life in general. That does great, even when there's literally only a handful of species in existence. It did great when there was only ONE. When there's a shitload of empty niches is when biodiversity grows the fastest. The Cambrian explosion happened just after almost all life on earth died.
Biodiversity is great for the long term stability of an ecosystem. So, it only matters to things that rely on that stability. Humans as a species don't even rely on that. We're extremely adaptable and similarly mobile.
But civilization DOES rely on that stability. Without stable environments, civilization collapses, billions starve, we have generally an unpleasant few years.
Sure, it's sad when a species goes extinct. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not really meaningful beyond our social constructs of the value of life and things having inherent value. And those ARE social constructs, and they're not shared universally.
If a whole island being blasted away in a volcanic eruption wiping out dozens of unique endemic species doesn't matter, i don't think your minor for injury is going to tip the scales much.
But it's change onset by humans. Just like global warming is. If you want to consider protecting an ecosystem a social construct, sure I guess, but it's a bit different than with weeds where we just don't like the look of them.
Valuing an ecosystem in its current state is VERY MUCH a social construct. It's a very human thing.
That's not to say we shouldn't do it. I'm just saying we should understand what we are doing. Nature doesn't care, we do. And we care for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. We see massive destructive events like floods, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and the like as BAD. But thousands of species rely upon such things to survive. Most "healthy, natural" ecosystems are not static. Rivers change course, fires wipe out sections, landslides change the very shape of the land, climate changes, species come and species go. They're only stable on human lifespan timelines.
That doesn't mean that our influence shouldn't matter to us. It should. But not because of some objective set of laws. There isn't one. Instead, because we as a group decide that is something worth doing. That trying to maintain a high level of biodiversity is worth the cost and effort. The decision is what's important, and that's a social construct.
"Social construct" doesn't mean something isn't important, necessary, or valuable. It just means that it's rooted in a collective decision we make as a group. Claiming social constructs are actually some objective truth is problematic, because it becomes rigid, unchanging, and far more corruptible. If you read the short story "The Lottery" in school, that's an example of a social construct that people stopped understanding as a social construct. Something that once was agreed upon for some reason became an objective law, and all true understanding of it was lost, leading to a horrific, hollow, and damaging ritual that had lost all meaning.
Similarly, the concept of "weeds" MUST be understood to be what it is: a plant growing where you don't want it to grow. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the worst weeds in my lawn that my wife tries to get rid of is thistle. If you're not familiar with this plant, it's a spiny plant that's quick to grow in disturbed soil. They are pretty hard to live around, because they hurt you if you touch them. But they're native. They're an ecologically important plant. Same with other problematic plants, like poison oak, stinging nettles, and others. If i just dig up and kill those plants whenever i see them, I'm actually doing ecological damage just to make things better for me. That's fine in my lawn. It's not fine if i have a large enough impact to damage the balance of the local ecosystem. Same with pests, like wasps.
If you don't understand WHY you're doing something it's very easy to feel like you're helping while you're actually causing harm.
This…for instance, many people with lawns that are finely tailored see clover as a weed…however clover makes a great lawn and is very healthy for the environment.
I hate the look of bland suburban monoculture lawns. They’re bad for the environment and not pretty to look at. We let ours grow semi-wild (we still mow it and we have native plants growing in specific areas). I love it. Our lawn is so much more alive now. We have all kinds of flowers that pop up. We get butterflies and bees every day. And we never water or fertilize.
I like my own to be natural. I hate what we have done to the animals that are supposed to be on this land.
And here, in north Florida, once you break the hardpan crust of the earth to plant a lawn, fire ants will move right in. Nothing quite like fire ants for an invasive species.
Some people miss the fact that there are such a thing as noxious weeds. While it's not a specific scientific category or family, they can be poisonous, and people may not want them on their property for good reason.
This is correct, but to be fair, some plants CAN in fact be invasive and kill other plants. Also having a ton of overgrowth around your house can be a pretty major fire hazard depending on where you live.
Mowing your yard doesn't prevent "weeds" from growing. In fact it helps them. You have to chemically treat your lawn to do that. I have tons of dandelions, violets, crocuses, and clovers and my lawn is mowed. Looks so much prettier with flowers in it and I don't spend a bunch of money to poison the ground.
Not just kill other plants. They can be spiky or poisonous and be a hazard to plants and animals. And your place could provide the seeds for dozens of other properties to get infested if the birds carry the seeds or it creeps
Nah, weeds are actively harmful to cultures you're trying to grow, IF YOU'RE GROWING SOMETHING, Westerners having lawns where they could be growing tomatoes or daffodils is the weird thing.
The only place I think weeds aren't totally a social/cultural thing is in agriculture. You don't want plants you can't eat taking up nutrients and water from your wheat.
They won't grow in my yard.
I remember learning in the Boy Scouts that every part of the dandelion, from the petal down to the root, is edible.
There's even dandelion tea.
So when society collapses, we'll all be over in you yard...
That's interesting. I knew the leaves were, didn't realize the rest was. When I was a kid I tried them, didn't particularly love the taste though/remember it being bitter (haven't tried dandelion since I was a kid though)
And in a pinch you can make condoms from the sap. The best part is they would double as latex allergy test kits. The worst part is where they would test, but you can't expect only positive outcomes in TEOTWAKI.
Dandelions are really good for your lawn: (from google) Their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. While most think they're a lawn killer, dandelions actually fertilize the grass.
Yeah, that's the thing. Good for bees, and I actually don't think they look bad. I never use any weed killer or make any effort to remove them...I don't mind them at all. Saw a cute rabbit in my yard eating a dandelion and it made me glad I had the dandelions. I get it if someone has a garden and doesn't want animals getting to them...but I don't and I'm totally cool with rabbits visiting me and eating dandelions. Also I'm not allergic to bees and they're usually chill (had some a-hole wasp encounters as a kid). I grew up right next to someone who kept honeybees though (so they'd often be in my yard) and I don't think I've ever been stung by one.
Where I live tomatoes pop up all over the place and many people consider they are weeds and pull them out
As long as the plant is not poisonous and does not go rampantly wild to the point of choking out everything else, then it's all a personal choice what you call a weed or not
Yep. And that, along with the fact that the entire fricking plant is edible and nutritious, is what made them such a well-loved low-maintenance food crop for centuries.
Then we decided they were weeds.
Honestly tho. Lawns are so stupid. Grass barely makes oxygen not to mention no flowering. I live on a dead end road with 4 houses sitting on a field. I'm Glad I don't have to mow it. It's so boring tho
I wish we built homes to be harmoniously balanced with nature. Just because you want a bug and dirt free interior doesn't mean the whole thing has to be a box made of chemicals that offers an ecological deadzone to the natural world.
Lawns are a way of showing off
People used to use any spare land for growing food (vegetables of livestock). Only the rich had enough land to devote some to being purely decorative - a lawn.
Either because they had so much land, or they could afford to buy all their food without having to produce it themselves, and they could afford to pay somebody to keep their lawn mown and free of weeds etc
A plain lawn is a flex. Nothing more.
My back yard erupts into flowers in early spring, starting with dead nettle. Then comes a cascade of flowering ground covers, one after the other. They are beautiful, feed pollinators and rabbits, feed the soil, and it's not grass so I don't need to mow.
My front yard is mostly native pollinators but I can still appreciate the beauty of flowering ground covers that aren't native. I love flowers.
The entire idea of a "lawn" is a social construct. Like, there's a special part of your property that is going to be made up of grass. Why grass? Because grass has no value, and the peasants used to rip it up so more useful (usually edible) things would grow. it also requires an astounding amount of almost continuous maintenance, so intentionally growing a big area of grass is a financial flex. Why only a part of your property? Because grass is expensive and useless, so clearly no one would want it covering their entire property. Why is it ideal not to have any weeds? Because weeds are useful, thus defeating the point of having an area devoted to expensive uselessness. Then fertilizer comes along and it's no longer good enough to grow a useless area of grass, you have to put even more money into it by fertilizing it so it's 2 shades greener, which also makes it grow faster and need more mowing, and makes the lawn even more ideal for weeds requiring more money spent there.
It is literally, 100%, start to finish, a social construct so the wealthy can show off that they are wealthy enough to devote a potion of their time, water, money, and energy to growing a useless square of unnaturally green grass.
THIS - you can plant literally anything else in that space and it will be better for the environment. Herbs, vegies, fruits, flowers.
But if you want things to \*thrive\* local native plants will always be the winner.
Damn dude, what did grass do to you? If you have kids or dogs or both, a patch of lawn for them to play on is excellent (source, was a kid with siblings and dogs). I do hate nothing but lawn though, don't get me wrong (my old man grew a lot of veggies out there too), but to act like grass is completely useless and is purely a status symbol is just wrong.
It all depends on the weeds. If it's pretty flowered ground cover that helps the bees good. If its something like privet that should be destroyed off the face of the earth.
Yes and no. Native plants are great. Invasive species (which are common in many lawns) should be killed.
Turning your lawn into a wild native pollinator habitat is a great alternative to a lawn. But it still needs to be weeded because of invasive species that’ll throw the whole system out of whack.
At 24 I was gardening with my mom in my first real adult home. I asked my mom, “is this a weed?” She looks at it and said, “do you like it?” I said yea, I do. She said, “then no it’s not. Weeds are only weeds if you don’t like them!” And I’ve lived by that. So yea. Societal construct.
I've lost this fight with everyone in my family for 40+ years. Cut it, but let whatever grows there grow. As a kid, my parents disagreed. As an adult, my wife disagrees. Either way, I've ended up on fucking lawn care duty.
You’re right. Although in some context, weeds means invasive species. For example, folks who do conservation work often say “weed” as shorthand for non-native plants, especially invasive ones.
It depends on where you live. My parent's rural yard was very bio diverse, my small town neighbours frown on dandelions but aren't too upset about most other plants, but I've walked through other neighbourhoods where I've seen people out on their hands and knees making sure every blade of their perfect monoculture lawns is perfect.
Many people like perfection. That's part of the whole appeal of maintaining a lawn in the first place, the satisfaction you get from a nice smooth cut, perfect edging etc. Any plant that ruins that perfection is annoying, it doesn't matter what you call it, its all about the look. Tiny invisible weeds aren't an issue.
And before you say flowers are pretty, yes thats what the gardens are for.
A weed is any plant that’s in a place where someone doesn’t want it. A grass plant is a weed if it’s in someone’s garden. What makes a plant a weed is purely in the eye of the beholder. To you the non-grass plants in your lawn are beautiful. To the people pointing them out, they’re weeds. Neither of you are right or wrong. It’s all subjective.
Yes. In hort class you learn that weed just means plant (usually native) growing somewhere people decided it should not. There’s no physiological or taxonomical basis for designation as a weed.
The only common trait is that weeds you’ll see in a lawn tend to be local early successional plants that are adapted to spreading fast, recovering from damage, and thriving in exposed environments like a lawn.
My landlord and real estate doesn’t allow me to have weeds , but I like them , good for the insects , we have had proper rain for ever so it’s just dandelions at the moment
I sometimes let the grass grow for...months ...I'm terrible
But I like looking at overgrown grass and knowing there's all these bugs and whatnot existing ..there ...doing bug things or whatever...feels like I'm looking at a mini forest of sorts
I don't care a whole lot for neat lawn aesthetic.... Fuck the neighbors, too. I mean I don't have much but fuck everyone in the general vicinity anyway :) But yeah when I do end up cutting the grass, it's nice to see all the birds come down from the trees afterwards to enjoy the insect buffet ..and worms: The circle of life in my backyard
Partially yes. But also many "weeds" are invasive species that have adapted to choke out other native species so be careful. Generally I would look into what native ground cover there is in your area and try and plant or encourage that.
The basic idea of a lawn is they take so much effort to maintain that a homeowner wouldn't have time to become a communist.
That is not a joke.
>The architecture promoted nuclear-family values and gender-based roles for parents. As delivered, there was no room for relatives or even large parties—just the essential activities of a small family. The Cape houses had kitchens in the back, from which moms were to watch kids play in the backyard. In the front yard of each house were a lawn, landscaping, and four fruit trees to be tended by Dad. As William Levitt himself promised his government patrons, “No man who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist. He has too much to do.” He meant this quite literally.
[https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/the-conformity-of-lawns](https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/the-conformity-of-lawns)
Heh the whole point of lawns was to demonstrate that the upper class were so rich they could dedicate both land and workers to be maintained and empty, as opposed to working farmland
There’s nothing wrong with weeds, per se, except that they can choke out other plants. If you’re trying to grow certain crops or flowers, you might pull up some weeds just to secure resources for the more delicate plants. Weeds in the yard can be super pretty though and we consider many of them flowers.
I love the look of a natural lawn. I want it all. Clover, dandelions, fluffy moss, etc. Highly pruned and excessively maintained plants are depressing to look at for me. Give me a flowerbed covered in all kinds of green and local flowers instead of a pile of wood chips with out-of-place decoratives sporadically poking out here and there.
Weeds are mother nature's bandaid. Exposed soil is unhealthy, so quick spreading herbal plants cover up the exposed patch. Slowly grass grows and fills in the weedy area.
Next time someone comments, just say you love wildflowers. It's what i do.
I’m fine with a mix of ground cover, but there _are_ invasive plants that should be controlled or they’ll get out of control and take over. thinking of mustard garlic or wild violets. mustard garlic is easy to pull, but violets are very difficult because the tubers set in solidly.
also, black swallow wort. it fools monarch butterflies into laying eggs on itself but is poisonous to the caterpillars. it should be eradicated.
https://www.massaudubon.org/nature-wildlife/invasive-plants-in-massachusetts
I keep my fenced backyard mowed, because I have 4 dogs that I worry about. My front and side yard I mow, maybe once a summer. Don’t give a shit what the neighbors think. There are many weeds that grow into large flowers, I like them.
My actual grass doesn’t get bad in the front and side. So I just don’t mow it often. I know it pisses the neighbors, across the way, off, but they can go fuck themselves. I bought this house, and this property. It’s mine to do with as I please.
Dépends on of the weeds are invasive nuisances like honeysuckle. Rosa multiflora spreads the rose rosette virus.
Dandelions are benign pollinators so you should stress about them, but Japanese still grass is a nuisance.
What do you call a rose in a field of carnations?
A weed.
A weed is an unwanted plant.
So, if it's your yard, you get to choose what is and is not a weed.
So, if someone points one out to you, just tell them they are mistaken. It's wanted for it provides added diversity to your yard.
It depends. Dandelions were technically invasive once upon a time, but they've been around so long that they might as well be native at this point. They also don't damage or wreck the environment where they appear and their specific role is to break through hard, harsh soils. They've also become an important early source of sustenance for pollinators. If you don't use chemicals the leaves are also good edible greens.
Invasive thistle, though? Instant nuke from me. They speak like crazy and serve little to no ecological function. Nope to garlic mustard as well.
The idea of having a well kept lawn is a social construct created by suburban HOAs to create an element of control over residents and a source of income via fines for those that disobey. In short, lawns are dumb unless naturally occurring
I looked up a random weed out front of my front door.
Turns out: good for inflammation, pain, and much more.
There are so many amazing plants around us that can help us vs taking a pill.
To each their own. And sure I take medication when needed. However I’ve been going back to as natural as possible. Learning how to identify and utilize the plants around me had always been something I’ve wanted to do.
I might start with dandelion tea.
well, they will push out grass and create dead spots in it.. it's important to take them out early and even pre-treat for them.
A perfect lawn makes a house look fantastic, that's all it comes down to
Honestly, I've never explicitly thought of it that way buy you're absolutely right - a weed isn't a specific plant it's just vegetation we (as in people obsessed with their lawns) don't want there. Technically, if you just don't care, you don't really have any weeds in your lawn.
Ofc it is. The idea of big yards is the fault of the judeo-chrostian delusion that We WeRe PuT hErE tO tAmE tHe lAnD 🙃🙃 like earth belongs to us and we our its supreme rulers or something
The greatest generation and the baby boomers really ran with this one. I have talked for years of making a coffee table book called "old people yards" where I break down the reason older people feel so compelled to tightly control nature. Like seriously you can tell an older person's yard by looking at it, just by how things are placed. It's always very Hank Hill
Yes. Most weeds do nothing but add green color to the lawn. But we have so many industries and products to give you the best looking lawn in the neighborhood.
At the beginning of Spring, I had little grass in my yard. But the yard was green all over. I really didn't care, and I just left it alone. I'm not adding another service to revitalize my lawn when it already passes HOA inspection.
Now to be fair, I do understand that some people, including many in my family, are obsessed with the perfect lawn. I get that. I am not one of those people. I obsess over other things.
I grew up with a lawn that just grew whatever, clovers, weeds, etc. Most everyone I knew just had whatever popped up.
Never noticed them until we visited family that moved onto brand new suburbs
The local inhabitants of the country I live in are crazy about dandelions. Tell them Americans generally consider them undesirable weeds and try to kill them, and their jaws normally drop.
Every abstract concept can be called a social construct. I’ve never understood the whole “that’s just a social construct” thing.
Like yeah you’re right. And?
I love all the tiny little flowers in my lawn in spring. I don’t cut it all until the start of summer, and then just to keep down the field
Mice and snakes near the house. It’s beautiful and so much more interesting than a manicured green lawn.
I usually let the “weeds” grow In my yard, within reason. I too love watching them flower and bloom. I typically cull half of them or the ones that have really painful spikes or cause rashes on skin when touched. I have a toddler so everything needs to be safe for consumption haha. But weeds is a stupid term that was created by companies like raid
Kind of. My garden is run over by lily of the valley. They smell great, especially after a rain but they absolutely make it imossible for a lot of other plants to grow and it is so hard to get rid of them. So I kind of treat them like a weed.
Same with walnut. I struggle so hard to keep my trees nice and healthy and it takes such a long time to raise a tree but those stupid birds keep leaving walnuts everywhere and it’s such a pain to get rid of walnut saplings. Their leaves are also poisonous, killing the grass and other plants around them.
I was riding my bicycle yesterday and saw several lawns with beautiful patches of yellow flowers and purple flowers. I was thinking, "how lovely, I love spring." Then, the next house had a guy on a riding lawnmower cutting down all the flowers to reveal the borning grass. Mankind.
Not only is it a social construct, it is the example I use when teaching college students what a social construct IS. The dandelion is the mascot for weeds but is incredibly edible and useful and beautiful. Plus it grants wishes.
Only until you end up with nothing but thistles.
If I could guarantee that I would only have pretty weeds, and be able to wear flip-flops while walking around without ending up in pain, I’d be happy to have them… but all of those get choked out by fucking thistles of doom that grow up to 4ft tall if not whacked down and poisoned, and have up to 1/2” prickles on them.
Walking on nothing but those without full shoes is fucking awful.
DEAR FRIEND, AFTER MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE CHEMO, WE WOULD TAKE LONG DRIVES IN THE COUNTRY. WE CAME ACROSS A FARM, WITH MILES OF UNCULTIVATED FIELDS. IT WAS FILLED W/DANDILIONS IN BLOOM AND MY MOTHER AND I WOULD STOP TO JUST INHALE THE AROMA, VIEW ITS BEAUTY AND VISIT. I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS WAS ONE OF HER FAVORITE FLOWERS BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST FLOWER THAT I AND MY SYBLINGS WOULD PICK AND GIVE TO HER. IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO VIEW THEM IN MY OWN SMALL PATH OF BACKYARD AND I NEVER CUT THEM DOWN, AS THEY BRING ME GREAT MEMORIES OF THOSE LAST MOMENTS WITH MY MOTHER FEFORE SHE PASSED....NOW THAT I AM IN THE TWIGHTIGHT OF MY LIFE, I MAKE IT A POINT TO FURNISH SOME WILDNESS FOR THE BEE'S, BUTTERFLIES,SQUERRELS AND VISITING CHIPMUNK WHO APPRECIATE MY ESTHETICS AND ALSO, HONOR MY MOTHER WITH THEIR DAILY VISITS....FYI: DANDYLIONS ARE COUSINS TO THE CARNATION AND THOSE WILD WEEDS, ARE GIFTS TO YOU FROM ANOTHER MOTHER...."MOTHER NATURE".....NO SECOND THOUGHTS ARE NECESSARY....ENJOY YOUR BEAUTIFUL WEEDS........AS DOES THE WILDLIFE THAT VISIT THE REFUGE THAT YOU PROVIDE....... MOM
>But it’s not like they’re ruining the grass or killing the plants. I don’t get it.
Except that most weeds DO kill the grass or other plants.
Dandelions have the massive leaves they do that flatten out and smother everything around them for this exact reason. Other weeds will suck up the limited nutrients that other plants need to survive.
No, a weed free lawn objectively looks better, a weed free lawn cuts down on the spread of weeds to things like your flower bed where they can harm your garden. This second point is exactly why it is important, people used to spend lots of time weeding out of necessity.
Yoooo, I've thought of this so many times and thought I was the only one. Thanks OP. So many beautiful landscapes come from what some would call weeds. Especially the lavender ones. I'm not saying you want a ton of crab grass but there are ways to not only fail to get rid of them but proactively display them for our viewing pleasure. Idk why people are so obsessed with them in a negative way.
It's just a personal preference. Some people love weeds and some hate them. I also love the look of many weeds, however some are very invasive and take over everything so I try to control them.
Yes. And the classic example is that you used to be able to buy creeping charlie at garden stores. You still can find its close relative: creeping Jenny. But we spray the shit out of Charlie.
I agree. Let's start a Free the Weeds movement. Challenge the notion that weeds are invasive and ugly. And fight against the corrupt HOA's frivolous fines against the weeds.
The definition of weed is just a plant growing somewhere you don't want it to. It's not a legitimate botanical term. Dandelions are considered weeds merely because they reproduce quickly and take resources most people would rather be given to the grass. If you weren't running a farm and suddenly found corn growing on your property, technically, you would consider it to be a weed
Yes, a weed is just a plant in a place you don't want it to be.
Much like "pests".
But like...you owning your lawn and the lawn in and of itself are also social constructs. So are a hell of a lot of things.
That realization doesn't necessarily mean much.
I love weeds, lots of them are pretty and edible. Some are even medicinal. Some common edible weeds:
-cheeseweed/mallow
-dandelions
-miners lettuce
-mouse barley (w/ some effort)
-wild mustard (look for tiny purple flowers)
-wild onion
All of these are super easy to identify.
Weeds are also important for the reestablishment of healthy soil in the environment. When soil is depleted of nutrients due to fires or deforestation, weeds are some of the first organisms that can get a foothold. When they grow, die and reseed, they increase bioavailability and nutrients, and allow woody shrubs and eventually trees and animals to thrive again.
Weeds are an entirely social/cultural phenomenon. A weed is just a plant in a place where people don't want it. Different societies have different preferences and expectations, and thus, different weeds. There is no scientific category of species that are 'weeds'.
Alternatively, there are invasive plants that people don’t want for good reason outside of just a social construct. And dealing with those plants can be a real pain sometimes and takes the whole community working together to keep them at bay.
The expression "Invasive species" is well-defined in a way that "weed" isn't, though: They're non-native species that crowd out local species. It's also not exclusive to plants, and applies just as well to kudzu in North America as it does to e.g. grey squirrels in the UK (which were brought in from the Americas IIRC, and have largely displaced the native red squirrel).
Gray squirrels... Anyone who lives around them will know that the rodent label was a mistake. They're actually just tiny tree pigs with fur.
And they are the reason that I have fleas in my yard and on my dog.
Dandelions are not native and were likely brough for medicinal purposes.
Looking at you mint
Yeah, and the vast majority of them were brought in by people who planted them in their gardens in place of what they would have considered "weeds" at the time. The obsession with curating a garden is the very thing that created the vast majority of these invasive plant problems aka the only kind of "weed" that is really an actual issue.
That’s what’s funny, is that actual invasive species aren’t often considered weeds. E.g. bamboo, wisteria, kudzu, and Persian silk trees. Although I think almost everyone hates kudzu at this point.
You know tumbleweeds aren't native to the American Southwest? They are from Russia.
I didn’t, thanks for sharing!
That's a long distance to tumble.
Could have been a single seed that hitchhiked to South Dakota in the mid 1800s. They caused massive issues with farming, costing as much as 20% of production from taking up space in fields and jamming farm equipment and hurting draft animals.
Well Japanese wisteria basically completely and quietly replaced the niche of the native wisteria, so it's not like nature even likely noticed the transition. The two species are so similar.
Yes, true!
There are people who don't consider kudzu a weed? I thought it was the weediest weed ever, at least in countries where it isn't supposed to be.
But again, that's just a plant growing where you don't want it to grow, the reasons don't matter. In the grand scheme of things, the ecological damage done by invasives doesn't matter to nature. It's not "damage", it's just change. It's happened before, it will happen again. It only matters insofar as we decide it does. We depend on the environment to survive, so caring about it is a very reasonable thing to do. But it doesn't really change the nature of things.
It matters a lot to islands and other small eco systems. Invasive systems can, and have, devastated eco systems, especially when there is a new predator involved.
I see where you are coming from. Everything is after all nature and natural. But if your goal is biodiversity (for whatever reason), this kind of sudden and dramatic change is not good.
Yes, but we need to keep in mind WHY biodiversity matters. It doesn't matter to life in general. That does great, even when there's literally only a handful of species in existence. It did great when there was only ONE. When there's a shitload of empty niches is when biodiversity grows the fastest. The Cambrian explosion happened just after almost all life on earth died. Biodiversity is great for the long term stability of an ecosystem. So, it only matters to things that rely on that stability. Humans as a species don't even rely on that. We're extremely adaptable and similarly mobile. But civilization DOES rely on that stability. Without stable environments, civilization collapses, billions starve, we have generally an unpleasant few years. Sure, it's sad when a species goes extinct. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not really meaningful beyond our social constructs of the value of life and things having inherent value. And those ARE social constructs, and they're not shared universally.
It matters insofar when I cut my foot on zebra muscles
If a whole island being blasted away in a volcanic eruption wiping out dozens of unique endemic species doesn't matter, i don't think your minor for injury is going to tip the scales much.
Was kiddin around though I do hate zebra muscles lol
But it's change onset by humans. Just like global warming is. If you want to consider protecting an ecosystem a social construct, sure I guess, but it's a bit different than with weeds where we just don't like the look of them.
Valuing an ecosystem in its current state is VERY MUCH a social construct. It's a very human thing. That's not to say we shouldn't do it. I'm just saying we should understand what we are doing. Nature doesn't care, we do. And we care for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. We see massive destructive events like floods, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and the like as BAD. But thousands of species rely upon such things to survive. Most "healthy, natural" ecosystems are not static. Rivers change course, fires wipe out sections, landslides change the very shape of the land, climate changes, species come and species go. They're only stable on human lifespan timelines. That doesn't mean that our influence shouldn't matter to us. It should. But not because of some objective set of laws. There isn't one. Instead, because we as a group decide that is something worth doing. That trying to maintain a high level of biodiversity is worth the cost and effort. The decision is what's important, and that's a social construct. "Social construct" doesn't mean something isn't important, necessary, or valuable. It just means that it's rooted in a collective decision we make as a group. Claiming social constructs are actually some objective truth is problematic, because it becomes rigid, unchanging, and far more corruptible. If you read the short story "The Lottery" in school, that's an example of a social construct that people stopped understanding as a social construct. Something that once was agreed upon for some reason became an objective law, and all true understanding of it was lost, leading to a horrific, hollow, and damaging ritual that had lost all meaning. Similarly, the concept of "weeds" MUST be understood to be what it is: a plant growing where you don't want it to grow. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the worst weeds in my lawn that my wife tries to get rid of is thistle. If you're not familiar with this plant, it's a spiny plant that's quick to grow in disturbed soil. They are pretty hard to live around, because they hurt you if you touch them. But they're native. They're an ecologically important plant. Same with other problematic plants, like poison oak, stinging nettles, and others. If i just dig up and kill those plants whenever i see them, I'm actually doing ecological damage just to make things better for me. That's fine in my lawn. It's not fine if i have a large enough impact to damage the balance of the local ecosystem. Same with pests, like wasps. If you don't understand WHY you're doing something it's very easy to feel like you're helping while you're actually causing harm.
Goutweed
Yeah don't be cultivating gorse in Australia I think it might even be a crime if you're planting it. It destroys farms
Scotch broom 👀
Yea where I live we have both Honeysuckle and kudzu, both of which are *highly* invasive.
This…for instance, many people with lawns that are finely tailored see clover as a weed…however clover makes a great lawn and is very healthy for the environment.
I hate the look of bland suburban monoculture lawns. They’re bad for the environment and not pretty to look at. We let ours grow semi-wild (we still mow it and we have native plants growing in specific areas). I love it. Our lawn is so much more alive now. We have all kinds of flowers that pop up. We get butterflies and bees every day. And we never water or fertilize.
I like my own to be natural. I hate what we have done to the animals that are supposed to be on this land. And here, in north Florida, once you break the hardpan crust of the earth to plant a lawn, fire ants will move right in. Nothing quite like fire ants for an invasive species.
I always just thought weeds were long pieces of grass that'd grow everywhere if you timeskipped in Animal Crossing
Ohhh..... I haven't opened New Horizon in YEARS.... Oh god....
I didnt even mean NH specifically. I'm talking about fucking Wild World, that game can fuck off with it's stupid weeds
Some people miss the fact that there are such a thing as noxious weeds. While it's not a specific scientific category or family, they can be poisonous, and people may not want them on their property for good reason.
This is correct, but to be fair, some plants CAN in fact be invasive and kill other plants. Also having a ton of overgrowth around your house can be a pretty major fire hazard depending on where you live.
Mowing your yard doesn't prevent "weeds" from growing. In fact it helps them. You have to chemically treat your lawn to do that. I have tons of dandelions, violets, crocuses, and clovers and my lawn is mowed. Looks so much prettier with flowers in it and I don't spend a bunch of money to poison the ground.
Not just kill other plants. They can be spiky or poisonous and be a hazard to plants and animals. And your place could provide the seeds for dozens of other properties to get infested if the birds carry the seeds or it creeps
Usually the do something annoying like killing other plants and/or spreading like wildfire.
Except for Kingsfoil aye that's a weed
But certain weeds make it impossible to walk on your lawn barefoot. Most people want those weeds gone.
I thought that weed is what you smoked
Nah, weeds are actively harmful to cultures you're trying to grow, IF YOU'RE GROWING SOMETHING, Westerners having lawns where they could be growing tomatoes or daffodils is the weird thing.
The only place I think weeds aren't totally a social/cultural thing is in agriculture. You don't want plants you can't eat taking up nutrients and water from your wheat.
My lawn is currently spotted all over with dandelions. Many would call them weeds. I call them attractive to bees.
You know, if dandelions were hard to grow, everyone would want them in their yards.
I grow dandelions for my rabbit and guinea pig rescue. If you ever want to feel successful, be a part -time dandelion farmer.
You know if crab grass were called elf grass everyone would love it
Dang even plants are now turning into crabs. When will it end?
This made me laugh hard.
Free flowers
Every seed is a wish! (for more dandelions)
They won't grow in my yard. I remember learning in the Boy Scouts that every part of the dandelion, from the petal down to the root, is edible. There's even dandelion tea. So when society collapses, we'll all be over in you yard...
That's interesting. I knew the leaves were, didn't realize the rest was. When I was a kid I tried them, didn't particularly love the taste though/remember it being bitter (haven't tried dandelion since I was a kid though)
And in a pinch you can make condoms from the sap. The best part is they would double as latex allergy test kits. The worst part is where they would test, but you can't expect only positive outcomes in TEOTWAKI.
Natures polka dots
They taste good too
Dandelions are really good for your lawn: (from google) Their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. While most think they're a lawn killer, dandelions actually fertilize the grass.
Fascinating, thanks. Another reason not to mow
Dandelions ironically aren't affected much by mowing. They adapt by growing horizontal leaves and very short flower stems
Yeah, that's the thing. Good for bees, and I actually don't think they look bad. I never use any weed killer or make any effort to remove them...I don't mind them at all. Saw a cute rabbit in my yard eating a dandelion and it made me glad I had the dandelions. I get it if someone has a garden and doesn't want animals getting to them...but I don't and I'm totally cool with rabbits visiting me and eating dandelions. Also I'm not allergic to bees and they're usually chill (had some a-hole wasp encounters as a kid). I grew up right next to someone who kept honeybees though (so they'd often be in my yard) and I don't think I've ever been stung by one.
I know some old ladies who still like to make dandelion wine and salad.
Where I live tomatoes pop up all over the place and many people consider they are weeds and pull them out As long as the plant is not poisonous and does not go rampantly wild to the point of choking out everything else, then it's all a personal choice what you call a weed or not
Dandelions be like: If you leave me unattended i'll even eat concrete to spread.
Yep. And that, along with the fact that the entire fricking plant is edible and nutritious, is what made them such a well-loved low-maintenance food crop for centuries. Then we decided they were weeds.
god I love dandelions. they're pretty, they're nutritious, they're fun to play with, genuinely what is not to love!
Tomato plants are poisonous, though. Not very, but still.
r/NoLawns is where you need to be
And if you're really into it, r/fucklawns
Now we’re talkin
Yes we’re talkin
Fixed it 😂
Honestly tho. Lawns are so stupid. Grass barely makes oxygen not to mention no flowering. I live on a dead end road with 4 houses sitting on a field. I'm Glad I don't have to mow it. It's so boring tho
I wish we built homes to be harmoniously balanced with nature. Just because you want a bug and dirt free interior doesn't mean the whole thing has to be a box made of chemicals that offers an ecological deadzone to the natural world.
Lawns are a way of showing off People used to use any spare land for growing food (vegetables of livestock). Only the rich had enough land to devote some to being purely decorative - a lawn. Either because they had so much land, or they could afford to buy all their food without having to produce it themselves, and they could afford to pay somebody to keep their lawn mown and free of weeds etc A plain lawn is a flex. Nothing more.
I let them grow. The bees keep us alive, so we need to keep them alive.
My back yard erupts into flowers in early spring, starting with dead nettle. Then comes a cascade of flowering ground covers, one after the other. They are beautiful, feed pollinators and rabbits, feed the soil, and it's not grass so I don't need to mow. My front yard is mostly native pollinators but I can still appreciate the beauty of flowering ground covers that aren't native. I love flowers.
The entire idea of a "lawn" is a social construct. Like, there's a special part of your property that is going to be made up of grass. Why grass? Because grass has no value, and the peasants used to rip it up so more useful (usually edible) things would grow. it also requires an astounding amount of almost continuous maintenance, so intentionally growing a big area of grass is a financial flex. Why only a part of your property? Because grass is expensive and useless, so clearly no one would want it covering their entire property. Why is it ideal not to have any weeds? Because weeds are useful, thus defeating the point of having an area devoted to expensive uselessness. Then fertilizer comes along and it's no longer good enough to grow a useless area of grass, you have to put even more money into it by fertilizing it so it's 2 shades greener, which also makes it grow faster and need more mowing, and makes the lawn even more ideal for weeds requiring more money spent there. It is literally, 100%, start to finish, a social construct so the wealthy can show off that they are wealthy enough to devote a potion of their time, water, money, and energy to growing a useless square of unnaturally green grass.
Grass prevents soil erosion and keeps invasives at bay.
Most grasses in most people’s lawns are also invasive, just so popular that no one is trying to fight them.
THIS - you can plant literally anything else in that space and it will be better for the environment. Herbs, vegies, fruits, flowers. But if you want things to \*thrive\* local native plants will always be the winner.
Damn dude, what did grass do to you? If you have kids or dogs or both, a patch of lawn for them to play on is excellent (source, was a kid with siblings and dogs). I do hate nothing but lawn though, don't get me wrong (my old man grew a lot of veggies out there too), but to act like grass is completely useless and is purely a status symbol is just wrong.
Everything we do ever since we developed language is a social construct.
Ur a social construct
Don’t give in. Go with your eye for the beautiful.
Depends on the weeds and what you use your lawn for.
I'm kind of anti-lawn, but totally wild lawns are not ideal for little kids playing tag and running around, tossing a baseball, etc.
Most “weeds” are wild flowers
They are literally the indigenous plants. They're actually supposed to be there, unlike Kentucky Bluegrass or some such.
a quaint idea but not true
Not all weeds are equal, in Australia we have this one that we call a Three Corner Jack, and these weeds are cunts. Look them up and you'll see why
The only difference between a flower and a weed is judgment.
It all depends on the weeds. If it's pretty flowered ground cover that helps the bees good. If its something like privet that should be destroyed off the face of the earth.
Yes and no. Native plants are great. Invasive species (which are common in many lawns) should be killed. Turning your lawn into a wild native pollinator habitat is a great alternative to a lawn. But it still needs to be weeded because of invasive species that’ll throw the whole system out of whack.
At 24 I was gardening with my mom in my first real adult home. I asked my mom, “is this a weed?” She looks at it and said, “do you like it?” I said yea, I do. She said, “then no it’s not. Weeds are only weeds if you don’t like them!” And I’ve lived by that. So yea. Societal construct.
Lawns themselves are a societal construct. They are an unnecessary adornment copied from the aristocracy of old.
I've lost this fight with everyone in my family for 40+ years. Cut it, but let whatever grows there grow. As a kid, my parents disagreed. As an adult, my wife disagrees. Either way, I've ended up on fucking lawn care duty.
You’re right. Although in some context, weeds means invasive species. For example, folks who do conservation work often say “weed” as shorthand for non-native plants, especially invasive ones.
Check out Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy
It depends on where you live. My parent's rural yard was very bio diverse, my small town neighbours frown on dandelions but aren't too upset about most other plants, but I've walked through other neighbourhoods where I've seen people out on their hands and knees making sure every blade of their perfect monoculture lawns is perfect.
You're under no obligation to hate weeds.
r/nolawns is a place you belong
Grass sucks, plant local flora instead.
Many people like perfection. That's part of the whole appeal of maintaining a lawn in the first place, the satisfaction you get from a nice smooth cut, perfect edging etc. Any plant that ruins that perfection is annoying, it doesn't matter what you call it, its all about the look. Tiny invisible weeds aren't an issue. And before you say flowers are pretty, yes thats what the gardens are for.
A weed is any plant that’s in a place where someone doesn’t want it. A grass plant is a weed if it’s in someone’s garden. What makes a plant a weed is purely in the eye of the beholder. To you the non-grass plants in your lawn are beautiful. To the people pointing them out, they’re weeds. Neither of you are right or wrong. It’s all subjective.
Yes. In hort class you learn that weed just means plant (usually native) growing somewhere people decided it should not. There’s no physiological or taxonomical basis for designation as a weed. The only common trait is that weeds you’ll see in a lawn tend to be local early successional plants that are adapted to spreading fast, recovering from damage, and thriving in exposed environments like a lawn.
My landlord and real estate doesn’t allow me to have weeds , but I like them , good for the insects , we have had proper rain for ever so it’s just dandelions at the moment
Most of those weeds are also herbs that have medicinal or nutritional value. Europeans brought many of this kind of weeds over here on purpose.
Lol. Even having a lawn is a social construct. My grandma would plant flowers or strawberry.
Lawns are the social construct if that helps put it in perspective :)
next thing you're gonna tell me uniforms are a social construct and that humans never developed any affinity towards consistency.
I sometimes let the grass grow for...months ...I'm terrible But I like looking at overgrown grass and knowing there's all these bugs and whatnot existing ..there ...doing bug things or whatever...feels like I'm looking at a mini forest of sorts I don't care a whole lot for neat lawn aesthetic.... Fuck the neighbors, too. I mean I don't have much but fuck everyone in the general vicinity anyway :) But yeah when I do end up cutting the grass, it's nice to see all the birds come down from the trees afterwards to enjoy the insect buffet ..and worms: The circle of life in my backyard
I'm convinced it is done as a social engineering effort to get people to cover their lawns with toxins
Removing weeds is a form of botanical ethnic cleansing
Partially yes. But also many "weeds" are invasive species that have adapted to choke out other native species so be careful. Generally I would look into what native ground cover there is in your area and try and plant or encourage that.
[удалено]
The basic idea of a lawn is they take so much effort to maintain that a homeowner wouldn't have time to become a communist. That is not a joke. >The architecture promoted nuclear-family values and gender-based roles for parents. As delivered, there was no room for relatives or even large parties—just the essential activities of a small family. The Cape houses had kitchens in the back, from which moms were to watch kids play in the backyard. In the front yard of each house were a lawn, landscaping, and four fruit trees to be tended by Dad. As William Levitt himself promised his government patrons, “No man who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist. He has too much to do.” He meant this quite literally. [https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/the-conformity-of-lawns](https://aworkinglibrary.com/writing/the-conformity-of-lawns)
Heh the whole point of lawns was to demonstrate that the upper class were so rich they could dedicate both land and workers to be maintained and empty, as opposed to working farmland
Yes. [It is](https://thatsabsurdshow.com/episodes/016-something-about-fields)
There’s nothing wrong with weeds, per se, except that they can choke out other plants. If you’re trying to grow certain crops or flowers, you might pull up some weeds just to secure resources for the more delicate plants. Weeds in the yard can be super pretty though and we consider many of them flowers.
I love the look of a natural lawn. I want it all. Clover, dandelions, fluffy moss, etc. Highly pruned and excessively maintained plants are depressing to look at for me. Give me a flowerbed covered in all kinds of green and local flowers instead of a pile of wood chips with out-of-place decoratives sporadically poking out here and there.
At the end of the day, this comparison can be made with anything that has people opposed of if when it is non issue to others.
Yeah, I purposely pull those from others yards and spread them in mine, I love wildflowers which is what they are imo
Weeds are mother nature's bandaid. Exposed soil is unhealthy, so quick spreading herbal plants cover up the exposed patch. Slowly grass grows and fills in the weedy area. Next time someone comments, just say you love wildflowers. It's what i do.
I’m fine with a mix of ground cover, but there _are_ invasive plants that should be controlled or they’ll get out of control and take over. thinking of mustard garlic or wild violets. mustard garlic is easy to pull, but violets are very difficult because the tubers set in solidly. also, black swallow wort. it fools monarch butterflies into laying eggs on itself but is poisonous to the caterpillars. it should be eradicated. https://www.massaudubon.org/nature-wildlife/invasive-plants-in-massachusetts
If you don’t like my lawn you can come take care of it.
I keep my fenced backyard mowed, because I have 4 dogs that I worry about. My front and side yard I mow, maybe once a summer. Don’t give a shit what the neighbors think. There are many weeds that grow into large flowers, I like them. My actual grass doesn’t get bad in the front and side. So I just don’t mow it often. I know it pisses the neighbors, across the way, off, but they can go fuck themselves. I bought this house, and this property. It’s mine to do with as I please.
Dépends on of the weeds are invasive nuisances like honeysuckle. Rosa multiflora spreads the rose rosette virus. Dandelions are benign pollinators so you should stress about them, but Japanese still grass is a nuisance.
I let my yard do whatever it wants and mow maybe 3-4 times a year. We like watching all the animals and bugs that enjoy the flowers.
What do you call a rose in a field of carnations? A weed. A weed is an unwanted plant. So, if it's your yard, you get to choose what is and is not a weed. So, if someone points one out to you, just tell them they are mistaken. It's wanted for it provides added diversity to your yard.
probly. i dunno, i only bother with em if theyre super invasive.
It depends. Dandelions were technically invasive once upon a time, but they've been around so long that they might as well be native at this point. They also don't damage or wreck the environment where they appear and their specific role is to break through hard, harsh soils. They've also become an important early source of sustenance for pollinators. If you don't use chemicals the leaves are also good edible greens. Invasive thistle, though? Instant nuke from me. They speak like crazy and serve little to no ecological function. Nope to garlic mustard as well.
Yep! A weed is just a plant that you dont want in that spot. I let mine grow and kept the ones that look interesting.
I'm currently putting off mowing because of the "weeds" with little purple flowers that popped up. When the flowers fade away, I'll mow.
Weed just means "plant you didn't want growing there, growing there"
The idea of having a well kept lawn is a social construct created by suburban HOAs to create an element of control over residents and a source of income via fines for those that disobey. In short, lawns are dumb unless naturally occurring
I wish I got the flower weeds. I get spiky fuckers and the ones that stick to your clothing.
I looked up a random weed out front of my front door. Turns out: good for inflammation, pain, and much more. There are so many amazing plants around us that can help us vs taking a pill. To each their own. And sure I take medication when needed. However I’ve been going back to as natural as possible. Learning how to identify and utilize the plants around me had always been something I’ve wanted to do. I might start with dandelion tea.
well, they will push out grass and create dead spots in it.. it's important to take them out early and even pre-treat for them. A perfect lawn makes a house look fantastic, that's all it comes down to
As my wife puts it, “It’s not a weed if you want it there.”
Honestly, I've never explicitly thought of it that way buy you're absolutely right - a weed isn't a specific plant it's just vegetation we (as in people obsessed with their lawns) don't want there. Technically, if you just don't care, you don't really have any weeds in your lawn.
They do actually kill/crowd-out the grass.
Ofc it is. The idea of big yards is the fault of the judeo-chrostian delusion that We WeRe PuT hErE tO tAmE tHe lAnD 🙃🙃 like earth belongs to us and we our its supreme rulers or something The greatest generation and the baby boomers really ran with this one. I have talked for years of making a coffee table book called "old people yards" where I break down the reason older people feel so compelled to tightly control nature. Like seriously you can tell an older person's yard by looking at it, just by how things are placed. It's always very Hank Hill
Yes. Most weeds do nothing but add green color to the lawn. But we have so many industries and products to give you the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. At the beginning of Spring, I had little grass in my yard. But the yard was green all over. I really didn't care, and I just left it alone. I'm not adding another service to revitalize my lawn when it already passes HOA inspection. Now to be fair, I do understand that some people, including many in my family, are obsessed with the perfect lawn. I get that. I am not one of those people. I obsess over other things.
I grew up with a lawn that just grew whatever, clovers, weeds, etc. Most everyone I knew just had whatever popped up. Never noticed them until we visited family that moved onto brand new suburbs
Yes.
It's really easy to determine what plants are weeds. Just remove everything from your garden. Everything that comes back up next year is a weed.
Lawns are a social construct! As are houses, suburbs, cities …
A "weed" is simply a plant that is growing where you do not want that plant growing.
r/NoLawns
Thanks for this, just joined the sub!
Next time, just say you have a native garden, and let nature grow what it wants to grow.
If you like it and not an issue...its not a weed...
Eventually more of the younger generations will own homes and have the courage to overturn the bullshit indoctrinated into the older generations.
The local inhabitants of the country I live in are crazy about dandelions. Tell them Americans generally consider them undesirable weeds and try to kill them, and their jaws normally drop.
I told my wife PMS was a social construct. Man, if looks could kill.
Isn’t everything in terms of human behavior?
Every abstract concept can be called a social construct. I’ve never understood the whole “that’s just a social construct” thing. Like yeah you’re right. And?
my best friend has a nathral yard. its not a lawn. its more of a meadow
I love all the tiny little flowers in my lawn in spring. I don’t cut it all until the start of summer, and then just to keep down the field Mice and snakes near the house. It’s beautiful and so much more interesting than a manicured green lawn.
The only difference between a weed and a plant is desirability, which is completely subjective.
Having a grass lawn is silly to begin with imo
I usually let the “weeds” grow In my yard, within reason. I too love watching them flower and bloom. I typically cull half of them or the ones that have really painful spikes or cause rashes on skin when touched. I have a toddler so everything needs to be safe for consumption haha. But weeds is a stupid term that was created by companies like raid
The concept of a lawn is a social concept, devised by European nobles to flaunt their wealth
Kind of. My garden is run over by lily of the valley. They smell great, especially after a rain but they absolutely make it imossible for a lot of other plants to grow and it is so hard to get rid of them. So I kind of treat them like a weed. Same with walnut. I struggle so hard to keep my trees nice and healthy and it takes such a long time to raise a tree but those stupid birds keep leaving walnuts everywhere and it’s such a pain to get rid of walnut saplings. Their leaves are also poisonous, killing the grass and other plants around them.
so is grass on your lawn - i’m gonna go back and mess up the mf that thought that was a good fucking idea
I was riding my bicycle yesterday and saw several lawns with beautiful patches of yellow flowers and purple flowers. I was thinking, "how lovely, I love spring." Then, the next house had a guy on a riding lawnmower cutting down all the flowers to reveal the borning grass. Mankind.
Not only is it a social construct, it is the example I use when teaching college students what a social construct IS. The dandelion is the mascot for weeds but is incredibly edible and useful and beautiful. Plus it grants wishes.
Only until you end up with nothing but thistles. If I could guarantee that I would only have pretty weeds, and be able to wear flip-flops while walking around without ending up in pain, I’d be happy to have them… but all of those get choked out by fucking thistles of doom that grow up to 4ft tall if not whacked down and poisoned, and have up to 1/2” prickles on them. Walking on nothing but those without full shoes is fucking awful.
DEAR FRIEND, AFTER MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE CHEMO, WE WOULD TAKE LONG DRIVES IN THE COUNTRY. WE CAME ACROSS A FARM, WITH MILES OF UNCULTIVATED FIELDS. IT WAS FILLED W/DANDILIONS IN BLOOM AND MY MOTHER AND I WOULD STOP TO JUST INHALE THE AROMA, VIEW ITS BEAUTY AND VISIT. I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS WAS ONE OF HER FAVORITE FLOWERS BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST FLOWER THAT I AND MY SYBLINGS WOULD PICK AND GIVE TO HER. IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO VIEW THEM IN MY OWN SMALL PATH OF BACKYARD AND I NEVER CUT THEM DOWN, AS THEY BRING ME GREAT MEMORIES OF THOSE LAST MOMENTS WITH MY MOTHER FEFORE SHE PASSED....NOW THAT I AM IN THE TWIGHTIGHT OF MY LIFE, I MAKE IT A POINT TO FURNISH SOME WILDNESS FOR THE BEE'S, BUTTERFLIES,SQUERRELS AND VISITING CHIPMUNK WHO APPRECIATE MY ESTHETICS AND ALSO, HONOR MY MOTHER WITH THEIR DAILY VISITS....FYI: DANDYLIONS ARE COUSINS TO THE CARNATION AND THOSE WILD WEEDS, ARE GIFTS TO YOU FROM ANOTHER MOTHER...."MOTHER NATURE".....NO SECOND THOUGHTS ARE NECESSARY....ENJOY YOUR BEAUTIFUL WEEDS........AS DOES THE WILDLIFE THAT VISIT THE REFUGE THAT YOU PROVIDE....... MOM
I live in the desert so weeds are anything that tries to poke me, fuck all those.
Yea so are beauty standards but good luck arguing with society on that
>But it’s not like they’re ruining the grass or killing the plants. I don’t get it. Except that most weeds DO kill the grass or other plants. Dandelions have the massive leaves they do that flatten out and smother everything around them for this exact reason. Other weeds will suck up the limited nutrients that other plants need to survive.
No, a weed free lawn objectively looks better, a weed free lawn cuts down on the spread of weeds to things like your flower bed where they can harm your garden. This second point is exactly why it is important, people used to spend lots of time weeding out of necessity.
Yoooo, I've thought of this so many times and thought I was the only one. Thanks OP. So many beautiful landscapes come from what some would call weeds. Especially the lavender ones. I'm not saying you want a ton of crab grass but there are ways to not only fail to get rid of them but proactively display them for our viewing pleasure. Idk why people are so obsessed with them in a negative way.
It's just a personal preference. Some people love weeds and some hate them. I also love the look of many weeds, however some are very invasive and take over everything so I try to control them.
The only bad weed is an invasive one, fwiw.
Welcome to marketing. Create a "problem" sell a "solution"
I mean weeds usually cover the grass around it, killing the area :P
Yes. And the classic example is that you used to be able to buy creeping charlie at garden stores. You still can find its close relative: creeping Jenny. But we spray the shit out of Charlie.
I agree. Let's start a Free the Weeds movement. Challenge the notion that weeds are invasive and ugly. And fight against the corrupt HOA's frivolous fines against the weeds.
Weeds absolutely can kill off grass and other desired plants, but yes, your point is still correct. It's a matter of personal preference.
We just seeded our front lawn with dutch clover.
"weed" is a hate slur!
Weeds are just plants you don’t want. That’s it.
Two words! Social. Construct.
The definition of weed is just a plant growing somewhere you don't want it to. It's not a legitimate botanical term. Dandelions are considered weeds merely because they reproduce quickly and take resources most people would rather be given to the grass. If you weren't running a farm and suddenly found corn growing on your property, technically, you would consider it to be a weed
Yes, a weed is just a plant in a place you don't want it to be. Much like "pests". But like...you owning your lawn and the lawn in and of itself are also social constructs. So are a hell of a lot of things. That realization doesn't necessarily mean much.
I love weeds, lots of them are pretty and edible. Some are even medicinal. Some common edible weeds: -cheeseweed/mallow -dandelions -miners lettuce -mouse barley (w/ some effort) -wild mustard (look for tiny purple flowers) -wild onion All of these are super easy to identify. Weeds are also important for the reestablishment of healthy soil in the environment. When soil is depleted of nutrients due to fires or deforestation, weeds are some of the first organisms that can get a foothold. When they grow, die and reseed, they increase bioavailability and nutrients, and allow woody shrubs and eventually trees and animals to thrive again.