Spiny Sowthistle

 Note from the Author: This post isn’t technically a redo but more of a full-on correction. On April 7^th 2022, I did a fill write-up about Sow Thistle and did not notice at the time my photos were of Spiny Sowthistle a close relative. So today we have a fully corrected post for all of you to enjoy.

 

 

This Spiny Sowthistle emerged later in spring between stonework in Downtown Fayetteville and has likely been stepped on a few times and possibly string trimmed.

This SPiny Sowthistle was found at the PWC facility in early spring.

 

Common Name: Prickly Sowthistle

 

Other Common Names: Spiney Sowthistle, Spiny-leaved Sow-Thistle, Rough Milk Thistle and, Sharp-Fringed Sow Thistle.

 

Botanical Family: Asteraceae (The Aster Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Sonchus asper

 

Description & Habitat: Prickly Sowthistle is a cool-season annual or biennial that can reach a height of six feet tall. When found in the urban landscape however, this non-native plant is often less than half of the aforementioned height. A prickly Sowthistle’s leaves are in alternate arrangement on the plant’s hollow stems and the leaves are roughly lanceolate in shape. The leaf shape can vary somewhat due to curls and lobes on the leaf which can cause misidentification as Prickly Sowthistle can sometimes resemble Prickly Lettuce or a number of other members of the Aster family. There also appears to be some variation on leaf shape relative to where this plant’s seed germinates and when it germinates. Prickly Sowthistle can be found in disturbed sites like roadsides, fields, railroad intersections, and in embankments. It also will appear in garden beds, between the cracks of concrete or asphalt and in fields, yards and occasionally in potted outdoor plants. The best time to look for this plant is in spring while the plants are small, but developed enough to tell them from other similar looking cool-season annuals.

 

When & What to Harvest: With Prickly Sowthistle, the parts you want are mainly the leaves while they are no longer than 4”. The taproot before the plant flowers is viable as a food source also the flowers can be used in the same ways one might use Dandelion blossoms.

 

Edible Related Plants: Annual Sowthistle (S. oleraceus).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  None are known.

 

Recipe:  Sautéed Sow Thistle

 

4 cups of chopped young (1-4" long leaves) Spiny Sowthistle

Butter or oil

1 cup of Bone broth (any other form of broth can be substituted)

1 tsp of dried garlic (4 cloves if fresh)

1 tsp. flour

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Wash your greens thoroughly and cut away the spiny bits if they are too firm.

2. Heat the oil/butter in your pan and then add the leaves.

3. Stir the leaves to make sure they get a nice coating of the oil.

4. Bring the pan with the leaves to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

5. Add the garlic the flour and the salt and pepper.

6. Stir everything and add another tablespoon of butter or oil and cook until the greens are fully soft.

7. Serve with rice.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sonchus-asper/

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

As far as I know, there is no credible vendor that sells the seeds for this plant.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Spring Plants:

Chicory, Italian

Chicory, Garnet Stem

Ground Cherries, Perennial

Okra, Baby Bubba

Okra, Iraqi Bamia

Pepper, Ghost

Pepper, Serrano

Pepper, Hungarian Wax Banana

Pepper, Bull’s Horn

Pepper, Mad Hatter

Pepper, Purple Bell

Rice, Upland

Spinach, Egyptian

Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Tomato, Chocolate Cherry

Tomato, Midnight Snack

Tomato, Lemon Boy

Tomato, Brown Sugar

 

Herbs:

Basil, Holy

Chives

Milk Thistle

Morenga

Savory, Summer

 

Ornamental & Flowers:

Castor Bean, Giant

Flowering Maple, ‘Orange Hot Lava’

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Za’atar

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 10^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Tall Lettuce II

 Note from the Author: This is an update on a weed I briefly covered on April 3^rd 2015 and in more detail on April 4^th 2024.

 

 

These leaves are perfectly tender.

Because of the leaf shapes folks often mistake Tall Lettuce for it's more famous cousin Dandelion.

 

Common Name: Tall Lettuce

 

Other Common Names: Canada Lettuce, Canada Wild Lettuce, Wild Lettuce.

 

Botanical Family: Asterceae (The Aster Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Lactuca canadensis

 

Description & Habitat: Tall Lettuce is a native species that can be an annual or a biennial depending on when it’s seeds germinated and weather conditions. It’s leaves are in an alternate arrangement, may not have a visible petiole and typically clasp the stem. The leaves are often deeply lobed and resemble the leaves of a Dandelion but are much larger. Typically you will find this plant in disturbed areas such as by the roadside, in pastures, and open woods, it will also appear alongside paths in one’s garden and in potted plants. It is not uncommon for a Tall Lettuce plant to reach up to seven feet tall in a growing season.

 

 

When & What to Harvest: The foliage and flowers can be harvested and eaten raw or cooked.

 

Edible Related Plants: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Prickly Lettuce (L. serriola)

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  None are known.

 

Recipe:  

If you search online you will find many ways to prepare and use the greens from Tall Lettuce, and I have two suggestions. Firstly, use the greens in a forage salad raw, but take care to wash them in specific thoroughly as this plant is commonly a host plant for Aphids. In a salad these leaves pair well with crumbled feta, bacon if served cooked but in raw form and a robust Italian salad dressing does wonders for them especially with black olives and parmesan.

 

As a cooked leaf green typically Tall lettuce is generally used like Escarole (Chichorium endiva) a relative in the Aster family and a form of Chicory. Now personally, I prefer to use the leaves of this plant about this time of the year in a sauté with garlic and Broccoli Rabe served with pork or chicken breasts and a side of either pasta or rice. Literally once cooked it blends seamlessly in with the other greens and no one would readily know the difference without me saying something.

 

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactuca_canadensis

 

 

Where to get seed or Bare Root Plants:

I don’t know of any credible vendor selling seeds or plants.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Spring Garden Plants:

Swiss Chard, Red

Tomato, Lemon Boy

Tomato, Sungold

Tomato, Yellow Cherry

Tomato, Midnight Snack

Tomato, Cherokee Purple

Pepper, Shishito

Pepper, Ghost

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Mustard, Mizuna

(More TBA!)

 

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

 

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Farmed Chickweed

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is March 20^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Rabbit Tobacco II

 Note from the Author: This is an update on a weed I previously covered on August 18^th 2022.

 

 

This Rabbit Tobacco plant emerged in a potted plant this year.

This is several individuals that are likely a mix of what will be annual and biennial plants.

 

 

Common Name: Rabbit Tobacco

 

Other Common Names: Shiny Cudweed, Cudweed

 

Botanical Family: Asteraceae (The Aster Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Gnaphalium spicatum

 

Description & Habitat: Rabbit Tobacco is a non-native annual or biennial depending on when its seed germinated and what the local environment is doing. This plant forms a basal rosette that bears simple leaves with an entire leaf margin that clasps the central stem and has a large reddish-pink veins that fade to white near the tips of the leaves. Most specimens will have a smooth bright green colored leaf but a few may have a hoar-fuzz on them giving a grey-green coloration. These plants may be found individually or in clusters with inter-generational plants that have germinated at different times as is seen in one of the pictures included with this post. R Rabbit Tobacco prefers dry open areas with some level of soil disturbance which kind of summarizes the Sandhills of North Carolina pretty well. The spread of Rabbit Tobacco is surprisingly vast as it has been seen all over the southeast, as far north as New York and in the west as far as Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and even in Kansas. For all that spread you would think this was a well-traveled native wild plant right? Unfortunately no, Rabbit Tobacco (Gnaphalium spicatum) is actually native to South America with references to the plant indicating it was introduced to Mexico in 1958.

 

 

When & What to Harvest:  If harvesting for the purposes of smoking this plant as a tobacco substitute all but the roots should be harvested and dried before use. If harvested for making a tea the same is true, but you can also use green leaves for tea. If you intend to eat this plant the young green leaves are preferred for use in a forage salad.

 

Edible Related Plants: None that I know of, though it is assumed other members of the family are used the same way.

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  None that I know of

 

Recipe:  I don't know of any formal recipes for this wild forage plant.

 

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://www.guynesom.com/Gamochaetaargychio.pdf

 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gnaphalium/

 

Where to get seed or Bare Root Plants:

I don’t know of any credible vendor selling seeds or plants.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Turnips

Parsnips

Onions

Celery

Potatoes

Garlic Bulbs

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

Houseplants:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Solanum uleanum

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is March 8th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Queen Anne's Lace II

 Note from the Author: This is an update on a weed I previously covered on June 9^th 2022.

 

This is the wild carrot found somewhere in Fayetteville NC. These biennials are just starting to emerge right now.

This Carrot is the Domesticated one, it is a Chantenay Red-cored carrot that I planted last year in my garden.

 

Common Name: Queen Anne’s Lace

 

Other Common Names: Bird’s Nest, Bishop’s Lace, Wild Carrot, Bee's Nest Plant, Devil's Plague (wtf on that last one).

 

Botanical Family: Apicaeae (The Carrot Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Daucus carota

 

Description & Habitat: Queen Anne’s Lace is a non-native biennial with a fleshy taproot and is effectively a undomesticated carrot. In the first year this wild plant will develop a rosette of finely divided leaves and in the second year it will develop a flower stalk that produces a cluster of white flowers that will often have a dark red or purple flower in the center. Typically you will find Wild carrots in lawns, pastures, abandoned lots, yards and other wild places with soil that has good drainage and are typically sunny.  Every part of this plant is edible thought he root may be white or yellow and color and far smaller than the carrots you buy at the store.

 

There are a few interesting things I found while re-researching this wild plant for this posting. Firstly, the family name for the Carrot family changed from Umbrelliferae in or around 2011 to Apiaceae which means older publications will still be using the old name in 2025. My copy of Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses and my copy of Rodales: Herbs still uses this family name so keep that in mind when looking into this wild plant. Beyond this how many older publications treat an undomesticated carrot as if it is a dangerous weed when it really isn’t. Even the NC state extension site (see link below) treats it as if it’s dangerous. Then there is the discussion of the root colors; I already noted that wild carrots are probably going to be white or yellow. But did you know the orange colored carrots at the store were naturally hybridized in the 1500’s most likely in Spain? We know this because there is there are paintings from Spain in the 1500’s depicting orange carrots and genetic studies indicate that the orange color naturally appeared as opposed to being intentionally hybridized. Before the orange color came around it is noted that the first definite writings of and depictions of carrots as a root vegetable originate in what is modern day Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, and those carrots were white, yellow purple and a shade of purple so dark, that it is effectively black. The reason you do not see more purple and black colored carrots in the seed trade is because they have a much lower germination rate than more hybridized types. Baker’s Creek Seeds sells the darkest purple types I’ve ever seen.

 

 

When & What to Harvest:  The leaves, flowers and unripe seed pods are all safely edible. Ideally you want to start harvesting these during January or February before seeds are fully formed.

 

Edible Related Plants: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa), Celery (Apium graveolens), Anise (Pimpinella anisum), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Lovage (Levisticum officinale), Angelica (Angelica archangelica), Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium).

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  Poisonous Hemlock (Conium maculatum) which is in the same family. You can tell Poison hemlock from Wild Carrots with some pretty easy to identify physical features. Poison Hemlock is a biennial that has stems with purple splotches that can be anywhere from two to ten feet tall. Poison hemlock’s leaves are divided and compound and taper to a point, also, the bruised or crushed foliage of hemlock smell bad whereas carrots smell like carrots.

 

Recipe:  

 

Parsnip & Carrot Greens Pie

 

Ingredients:

6-8 Parsnips

3-4 Medium Carrots (For the Greens)

1-4 Tablespoons of butter

Tahini to taste (Make sure it has enough lemon in it)

1-2 frozen plain pie shells (Or if you make your own, 1 deep dish one)

Salted Sunflower seeds or Slivered Almonds.

 

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Wash your carrot greens thoroughly to remove debris and dirt/grit.

3. Cut up your parsnips as finely as is possible

4. Steam your parsnips until they are soft. (10-15 mins)

5. Chop up your carrot greens as finely as is possible. (You can use a food processor to render them into paste also)

6. Mix your carrot greens with the tahini and use to coat the inside of the pie shells. Save about half for the next step.

7. Mash your steamed parsnips and mix in the remaining Tahini-carrot blend.

8. Fill pies with mixture.

9. Decorate top of pies with the Almonds or Sunflower seeds.

10. Bake for about 20 minutes or until you see the pies turning golden brown.

 

This recipe was originally published in the Fedco Seeds and Supplies Catalog for 2025 on page 55. I’ve tried this recipe a few different ways and the above is my preferred modification to it. For note I made my own tahini for it but you can buy that from the international aisle at a lot of grocery stores.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/daucus-carota/

 

Where to get seed or Bare Root Plants:

(Black Carrot Seeds)

https://www.rareseeds.com/carrot-pusa-asita-black

 

(Wild Carrot Seeds)

https://southernseeds.com/products/wild-carrot-bishops-flower-500-seeds-floral-design-culinary-uses-ammi-majus?srsltid=AfmBOooTx8kw681cSCQuDFNt9fJwvVu67fjl4LsZgxUcm4fotx-2JxTq

 

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Turnips

Parsnips

Onions

Celery

Potatoes

Garlic Bulbs

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

Houseplants:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Winter 2025

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is March 1^st at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.