Maintaining a weed-free garden can be quite a challenge, and many gardeners spend hours trying to keep their yards in pristine condition. While some find it therapeutic, others find it frustrating. However, amidst the weeds, you may come across some with pretty purple flowers that might catch your eye. Although tempting to keep, some of these weeds may have medicinal or culinary uses, but most of them are better off eradicated to prevent them from taking over your garden. This article provides information on eleven common weeds with purple flowers, helping you identify and decide whether to keep or eliminate them. By the end of this article, you will have gained knowledge on how to recognize these weeds and their possible uses. So, let’s delve deeper into the world of these fascinating purple-flowered weeds!
Wild violets are a popular type of weed that can be easily identified by their beautiful purple flowers. While they can add a charming touch to your lawn, they can also quickly become a problem if left unchecked. These plants use rhizomes to spread themselves underground, making it difficult to control their growth. However, it’s important to note that not all wild violets are the same, and some may come in different colors such as white, yellow, and blue. Beyond their ornamental value, wild violets also have some culinary and medicinal uses. The flowers can be candied, dried, or added to salads and teas, while the leaves can be used as a nutritious addition to your meals. Additionally, wild violets can be used in salves to soothe dry skin, eczema, or insect bites, thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties.
Creeping Charlie, a member of the mint family, boasts beautiful purple flowers. This hardy weed can thrive in various weather conditions and terrains, making it a challenge to eliminate. Its growth pattern involves spreading like a blanket all over your lawn and competing for nutrients with other plants, causing potential damage. One identifying feature is its small, lobe-shaped petals forming a head of four lobes, blooming between late spring and early summer. It’s best to try removing this weed during the summer months when it becomes dormant, as it propagates via rhizomes, which makes it tough to eradicate. Creeping Charlie is also resilient against pests and diseases, emphasizing the need to control it as soon as possible.
However, creeping Charlie has useful culinary properties, recommended for salads and teas due to its sage-like taste with a hint of mint. The leaves can cook up like spinach, while the plant can clarify ale, a traditional use. Besides this, it has medicinal properties and can serve as an astringent and diuretic, as well as promote wound healing.
Although blue is the more familiar color for Forget Me Nots, it’s worth noting that they can also bloom in pink or purple hues. Typically, these dainty flowers are recognized for their yellow-centered blue petals, but their vibrant color variations make them a favorite among gardeners. Incredibly easy to care for, many people enjoy the beauty of this plant and use it intentionally in their gardens. However, it’s important to note that Forget Me Nots are considered weeds. While they are lovely to look at, they can quickly become problematic if not properly maintained. They are particularly vigorous in Midwestern states, so if you call that area home, you may have already experienced their invasive tendencies.
Believe it or not, Forget Me Nots are edible and can be used in various culinary applications. You can candy them to enhance the flavor of cakes and cookies or add them to salads and teas for a touch of sweetness. For tea or tincture use, drying them is recommended. While they don’t offer much in terms of medicinal benefits, their delicate flowers can be irresistibly charming. To keep this plant as part of your garden, it’s crucial to deadhead the flowers as often as possible to prevent their seeds from taking root and competing with other plants for nutrients.
Black Nightshade flowers can come in either white or lavender colors and are a summer annual that dies as soon as the air gets frosty, usually around autumn. This plant is known to grow tall and leafy, and it competes with other plants for sunlight. It has identifiable features such as its purple or white flowers and purple or red berries that grow in clusters. The stem also has a purplish hue, especially during colder weather conditions. Black nightshade thrives in gardens that have rich soil, whether in sunny or shady areas. It can grow as a climbing plant or bushy. If you want to control this weed, it’s best to pull them out by hand. To prevent black nightshade from spreading, you should mulch your garden.
Although black nightshade is often mistaken for deadly nightshade, it’s not as poisonous as its deadly cousins. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s entirely safe as it still carries toxicity. All parts of the plant can be toxic, so ingestion is not advisable. Despite this, people have used the plant for medicinal purposes, but it’s important to note that there is varying success with this method. It’s always better to err on the side of caution and avoid using any part of this weed.
The creeping thistle is a common weed with lovely purple flowers. In this article, we’ll focus on the Canada thistle, which is notorious for being tough to remove since it’s a perennial weed with spear-shaped leaves containing sharp spines. Its flowers are also purple and grow in clusters resembling pom poms at the top of the plant. When it goes to seed, the flowers turn fluffy and white, much like dandelions. Canada thistles are best suited for low fertility soil, so increasing the soil’s fertility may help eradicate them while promoting desirable plants. However, removing them can be difficult due to their extensive root system. Despite its barbs, the Canada thistle is edible. You can eat the leaves fresh by rolling them to remove the spines, while boiling will get rid of the spines if you prefer cooking them. Indigenous Americans have used Canada thistle in tonics to soothe vomiting and stomach cramps.
The musk thistle, also known as the nodding thistle, is a type of thistle with long leaves that can reach up to 15 inches. The leaves have barbs on their wavy edges and the stems have spiny wings. When in bloom, the musk thistle produces purple or pinkish flowers that nod downwards, hence its name. The flower heads can grow to be 2-3 inches across and the plant can reach heights of up to 6 feet. These thistles can be found growing along roadsides and in areas with fertile soil throughout the United States.
While musk thistles can be a nuisance if allowed to take root in your garden, they do have some benefits. The stalks can be eaten when young, but they quickly become woody with age. Additionally, these thistles attract bees and goldfinches, which may be important for pollination purposes. However, controlling musk thistles can be difficult due to their extensive root system. It may be best to remove them from your garden rather than trying to cultivate them.
The ordinary thistle is a widespread plant with purple-colored flowers. Also known as the spear or bull thistle, it can be identified by its fluffy pink or purple flowers that sit atop a spiny ball. Its leaves and stems are often covered in barbs, and it blooms from June to October. To prevent its flowers from spreading seeds, it’s important to mow down this weed or dig out individual plants. Although attractive to goldfinches and certain butterflies, it can easily take over a garden, so getting rid of it is recommended. However, it’s worth noting that common thistles are edible, with flower buds that can be eaten like artichoke hearts and leaves and stems that can be used in salads. To avoid injury, gloves and eye protection should be used when removing the spines. Additionally, the common thistle is known for its medicinal properties, particularly as a tea that relieves stomach cramps and nausea and steam that treats muscle soreness.
The purple dead nettle is a wildflower commonly found in damp areas. It grows annually and produces pink, purple, or white flowers from mid-spring to summer in a tubular shape with four petals. Its leaves are triangular and may have purple tips, while its stem is square. This weed is resistant to disease, pests, and harsh conditions, thriving best in moist habitats like drainage ditches and woodland edges. If your garden is wet or near an infestation, it may become infested too, taking over quickly. Gardeners often keep this weed for its ability to attract pollinators, but it also has culinary and medicinal uses. Eatable and suitable for salads, smoothies, and soups, it can be made into a tea with diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties similar to stinging nettle.
The Henbit, often mistaken for purple dead nettle due to its purple flowers, has distinct characteristics that set it apart. It is shorter and droopier than its doppelganger and has leaves with a “hairy” appearance. The flower colors can vary from purple to pink and white. This weed thrives in sunny and moist conditions, often found near ponds. While not as common as other weeds, it is still important to remove it as soon as possible to prevent potential problems. Interestingly, the weed gets its name from the seeds that are beloved by hens and turtles. Despite being a weed, the Henbit is also edible and can be used in a variety of recipes. The leaves can be consumed like spinach and added to salads, while the flowers can be used for teas and salads after being dried. Medicinally, the plant’s tea can act as a laxative, reduce fever, and alleviate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
The Dove’s Foot Crane’s Bill is a resilient weed that can withstand various chemicals. It can be recognized by its lovely purple flowers with uneven petals, which some gardeners may even consider as an attractive ornamental plant. Its leaves have a rounded shape and are slightly hairy, with around 5 to 7 points. Although it prefers dry soil and arid conditions, it can still spread and cause problems in your garden, so it’s essential to stay vigilant. You can try removing them manually if there are only a few of them in your lawn, but it’s better to keep your lawn healthy, well-nourished, and moist to prevent them from growing back. This weed has no culinary use, but it has been used for medicinal purposes in the past. It has been known to treat gout, colic, joint and muscle pain, bruises, and stop bleeding. However, regardless of its medicinal properties, it’s still best to remove them from your lawn to avoid competing with your other plants.
The Selfheal plant, a member of the mint family, has multiple uses. It can be found growing densely in grasslands, meadows, and wood clearings, as well as on lawns. The plant’s oval-shaped leaves have slightly scalloped edges, and its stems start off hairy but become smooth as the plant matures. The purple flowers of Selfheal have two leaves beneath them and do not grow very tall, making it possible for the plant to survive mowing. However, the plant should be removed as it can hinder grass growth.
Aside from its aesthetically pleasing flowers, Selfheal has medicinal uses, including healing wounds, burns, and stopping bleeding. The plant also has an anti-inflammatory quality due to its tannins. It is commonly used as a tea to soothe sore throats and treat digestive issues like diarrhea and stomach cramps. Healalls can also provide relief for rheumatoid arthritis and even heart disease.
When gardening, it is essential to be aware of the weeds that grow in your patches. Knowing what you are dealing with can help you create a purposeful and pleasing garden. If overwhelmed with weeds, it’s best to figure out the best way to get rid of them to maintain a healthy and neat garden. However, if there are alternative uses for the weeds, leave at least 80% of the leaves and flowers behind for the bees. With the knowledge required to keep a healthy garden, anyone can enjoy this hobby even more.
