horseweed, Canadian horseweed, Canadian fleabane, coltstail, marestail, muckweed, and butterweed

Horseweed History and Folkore

Horseweed in the Garden

Horseweed is a native American annual plant with a single, hairy stem covered with lance-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves attached directly to the stem without a stalk growing alternately, spiraling up the stem. It enjoys disturbed soil and germinates throughout the year as long as the ground isn’t frozen, so it is a prolific weed in gardens and fields. It has tiny white or green clusters of flowers that turn into fuzzy airborn seed pods (cypsela) that can travel quite far.

Horseweed may be confused with hairy fleabane. Hairy fleabane leaves are crinklier and grayish and the plant has more than one stem. Horseweed has a single central stem. Fleabanes also don’t grow nearly as tall.

I also see similarities with horseweed and certain goldenrods, but horseweed is much hairier.

Horseweed prefer a wide range of soils, from acidic to neutral, sandy to loamy and

Farmers the world over find horseweed a nuisance, as it has traveled well beyond its native range. It can play host to the tarnished plant bug which also affects many common field crops and it is resistant to most common pesticides, including glyphosate. Its little airborne seeds will grow anywhere they land on disturbed soil, any time of year that isn’t freezing and overwinters in its immature rosette form. The plant doesn’t mind being mowed. Once it grows tall and woody, mowing isn’t an option for most mowers anyway. I know it resists my weed whacker. Fire weeding only encourages it to germinate faster. It can be uprooted by hand or smothered with a tarp or layers of cardboard easily enough though. The seeds need light and direct soil contact to germinate, so a thick mulch or a thick turf will hinder future growth.

If you do find it in your garden, keep some of the aerial parts of your weeding to make a useful tea for upper respiratory inflammation.

Horseweed in the Kitchen

I have reports that the young leaves can be used like tarragon. Experiments are forthcoming.

Erigeron canadensis or Conyza canadensis for Healing

An infusion of the leaves and stem can be used to treat coughs, colds, asthma and sore throats as well as other inflammatory conditions of the respiratory system. It can be drunk as a tisane or gargled for sore throats and mouth irritation.

Horseweed Magick

Horseweed is a survivor that grows and reproduces rapidly in disturbed, burned and drought ridden ground. Use it for the energy of renewal, stubborn resilience and quick turn around.