What's Weed? What's Flower?

[OldGuy43]

I've wondered since I was a little boy. Who decides? Around here, every spring Blue Bonnets and Indian Paint Brush take over whole meadows and roadsides. The same can be said of Dandelions. Both are lovely flowers. What's the difference?

 

[so lucky]

My take on it is that if you can buy seeds for it, in a typical seed catalogue, then it's a flower. However, I know there are exceptions to that. So it's just what ever plants you desire. Some people might consider petunias weeds.

 

[canesisters]

If it is growing where you want it to, it's a 'flower'. If it's growing where you don't want it to, it's a 'weed'.
Some 'weeds' are pretty or beneficial enough to dig up and move to a better spot. Some 'flowers' are so hardy that you can pull them up daily and they will come right back.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yep, my definition is the same. If it is growing where you don't want it, it is a weed. If it is where you want it, it is great.

If Bermuda grass is growing in a hayfield it's hay. If is growing in a lawn, it makes a great lawn grass. If it is in my garden, it's a noxious weed. A vile noxious weed.

There are things I consider a weed no matter where it is, usually because of it's ability to spread and take over. Canadian thistle for example. Due to its ability to seed, take over from native plants, and the damage it does to pastureland and hay fields, I consider it noxious wherever I see it. I know goldfinches like thistle seeds, but darn it,they can eat dandelion seeds.

 

[desertlady]

I was told that if you break their stems, milky spores comes out is a weed. Ive got tons of desert wild flowers growing, I cant decide whats weeds or not ! They all got pretty flowers ! They only weeds I hate the most is Tumble weeds.

 

[so lucky]

If you break a poinsettia, it has milky sap. Same for other euphorbias. I don't think that is what milky spore is, tho.

 

[seedcrazy]

If its invasive its a weed to me, if its pretty and not invasive its my flowers. LOL

 

[vfem]

A weed is a plant that is growing where you don't want it....

A flower to one, a weed to another...

I've had tomato weeds! lol

 

[OldGuy43]

 

[Smart Red]

I always taught my students that a weed it any plant that growing where it is not wanted. Corn is a valuable plant in a corn field, but a weed in an alfalfa field. You can purchase dandelions from seed catalogs - according to the growing info they require deep, rich soil - and great grandma always had a 'mess o dandelion greens' every spring liken them to a spring tonic. In my yard I prefer them GONE! Not that I dislike the flowers, but I do dislike the white seed heads and the rampant growth crowding out my grass.

The same definition applies to dirt. Soil is a part of the ground, but dirt is soil where it is not wanted -- on hands at dinner or on the floor in the kitchen. You don't play in the dirt when gardening although you can get pretty dirty and you don't dig up dirt to bring to school to plant seeds.