I had a great time today, taking two group on street herb walks, from the OTOPIA festival on the Overtoom. We found lots of herbs in pavement cracks, in intended pavement gardens, tended ones and in curbs. A few plants were around which I didn’t know the names of. Here they are:
Heath speedwell (Veronica officinalis) was creeping around a large grassland area halfway up Willeminastraat and Eerste Helmersstraat.
Gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora).
The plant that looked like Fat Hen (Chenopodium album) but had so many flowers on some examples that it was hard to tell, definitely was edible Fat Hen.
I didn’t take a photo of the Fat Hen today but here’s one of poisonous
Black nightshade. We found heaps of it on today’s walks.
The Wild Rocket that was growing at the entrance of OT301 appears to be the perennial species so I hope Cathy will be in luck with the sample she took home.
The nettle which the second group found, which wasn’t the regular Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) was Small nettle, an annual, as suspected and both edible and medicinal.
There were two others which I’m still looking up. Will post an update, when I find the names. Here they are, maybe you can help me out with the names?
Thanks to everyone who joined the walks and thank you to Femke and Tarje for organising today’s festival and inviting me to take part in this way.
Thanks Lynn for a wonderfully informative walk on Saturday! I’ll be sure to join you again soon, Leonie
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Thanks Leonie, it was so nice to meet you finally too! Hope to see you again soon š
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Thanks Lynn, it was a local adventure. Fingers crossed for my wild rocket. It’s had quite a drenching these past few days…
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Thanks Cathy, it was great to meet you š I’m excited by the thought of an early morning adventure sometime too. Good luck with the Rocket.
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That last one is probably as you suspected a runaway house plant – Cyperus Papyrus. Amazing what can survive in a crack in the pavement!
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Hey thanks Suzanne! It didn’t look very tasty, maybe something for a paper making workshop š
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