When pulling some weeds over the weekend, I started to think about animals that graze. Not just the domesticated animals like cows, horses and sheep, but also wild animals like deer, gazelle and mountain goats.
How do the mama and papa grazing animals teach their children which grasses and plants are healthy and which to avoid? Maybe a nudge from Papa Goat if Baby Goat starts chomping on some unhealthy shurbery?
Also, are all wild grasses and plants of equal nutritional value? I should think not. I bet weeds pack less healthiness into their shoots and leaves. But like unhealthy human food – like chocolate chip cookies – do weeds taste better than grasses?
Unlike humans, most animals are born with fully developed brains, and a lot of this knowledge is instinctual rather than learned.
Or [insert less scientifically accurate, quirky response here]. LOL.
It is actually not true that weeds are not as healthy as other plants. There are many weeds that are healthy to eat including dandelion, Queen Anne’s lace, thistles, nettles, milkweed, clovers, jewelweed and, catnip plus many other I will not take the time to list because know one will know anything about.
Very true. Weeds are weeds only when they are unwanted competition with cultivated plants. Otherwise, they are just plants.