Not all weeds are villains. Some are edible. Some are medicinal. Some are pollinator homes in disguise. And yes, some suck to pull, but once you understand what they’re doing and why they show up, you might find yourself cool with a few.
We’ve planted a lot intentionally… and inherited even more by accident. I rounded up a list of “weeds” we’ve welcomed, tolerated, and one we planted that we now actively ignore (looking at you, thistle).
*Few photos included from our own yard*
1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
The Look: Little yellow flowers or the puff “wishing flowers“ we all probably picked as kids. Jagged leaves hug the ground.
Pros: You can eat the ENTIRE thing, they help aerate the soil, and they’re great for a few things (inflammation, digestion, and liver support). Also, Bryan shared that there’s dandelion wine, and I’m convinced to find some. There’s something poetic about potentially toasting to something we deem a weed.
Cons: They take over FAST. The roots are kind of a bitch to pull. They survive being mowed over and over.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿🌿
2. White Clover (Trifolium repens)
The Look: You know this one, looking through 3-leafs for that good luck charm, topped with little white puff balls we’d make crowns or necklaces out of in elementary.
Pros: It’s a natural fertilizer, great for bees, soft to step on, and not ugly.
Cons: Can crowd out grass, real quick. The same pros and cons are the bees, especially if you have a barefoot toddler running around.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿
3. Wild Violet (Viola sororia)
The Look: Romance. Heart-shaped leaves with purple flowers, low to the ground and wide.
Pros: A beast in the shade where nothing else grows. The leaves and flowers are edible and pretty cute in ice cubes (think prosecco decor) or salads. Has medicinal purposes related to respiratory health.
Cons: Leaves taste bitter (to me), and hard to control once they’re there, since they can spread underground so that they smother the grass out.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿🌿
4. Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
The Look: So dramatic. Tall, sharp, big, with purple pom-poms on top.
Pros: It can be used in tea, and butterflies and some birds (like goldfinches) are obsessed with it. Plus, its roots can break compacted soil, or clay soil we have out this way.
Cons: Sharp AF and self-sowing, plus it’s tough to get rid of. I planted intentionally while pregnant with Owen for nursing tea. Immediate regret. It’s a “do not touch“ monument on the edge of one of my wildflower patches.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
5. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)
The Look: Little leaves with micro purple flowers, but the tell for me is the minty smell if you crush it.
Pros: Thrives in shady/damp spots where grass doesn’t. Loved by pollinators and kinda pretty with blooms.
Cons: Has fewer boundaries than the guy who cat-called you while you were shopping. They’re everywhere in our yard, and they strangle anything around it with ease.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿🌿
6. Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)
The Look: Similar to the clover, but brighter green and with little yellow flowers.
Pros: Edible in small amounts and tastes good, it’s lemony and fun to forage with kids. Flowers are great for the bees.
Cons: Reseeds mad fast and LOVES garden beds.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿
7. Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)
The Look: Wildflower look with bright blue fringed flowers.
Pros: Gorgeous, reseeds strongly, attracts pollinators, and has edible petals (cutest ice cube or baking decor).
Cons: If you’re not into self-seeding wildflowers, this is. Also, it’s technically not native to our zone.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿
8. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
The Look: Fern-esque with little flower clusters that look like umbrellas.
Pros: Herbal beast! It’s anti-inflammatory, pretty, thrives on neglected soil, and repels bugs.
Cons: Once comfortable, it takes up space for sure and can get woody. It spreads underground, so it’s more of a silent takeover.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿
9. Stonecrop (Sedum acre/sarmentosum)
The Look: With a moss-like look, this succulent forms a mat and features tiny yellow flowers.
Pros: Helps with erosion on hillsides and attracts beneficial bugs. Doesn’t need water and isn’t picky with soil.
Cons: Like the rest, it’ll crowd out others. Plus, this one isn’t edible.
Pull Score: 🌿🌿
10. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
The Look: Tall and scrappy, a little silver-ish. Smells herbal if you crush it.
Pros: Insects that we like love it, it does great in shitty soil, and it’s an OG in the medicinal world. Used for calming and digestion.
Cons: It’s more of a permanent, roomy solution, but getting rid of it once it’s there is tough. The smell can also get overwhelming (unless that’s just pregnancy smell talking, as I write this).
Pull Score: 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
Weeds are one of the easiest ways to learn about your soil and light in your yard. That line between intentional and wild can get blurry. But isn’t that the best part?