đŒ Todayâs unexpected harvest: pineapple weedâgrowing wild all along the roadside near my house.
If youâve ever brushed past this plant, you mightâve noticed its scent: sweet, fruity, like chamomile kissed by pineapple. Itâs a cousin to wild chamomile, and it thrives in compacted, disturbed soilsâsidewalk cracks, gravel paths, and yes, roadsides.
But harvesting from a roadside comes with a caveat.
Even though the plant looks vibrant and healthy, the soil it grows in may be holding onto more than just minerals: runoff from cars, old pesticides, heavy metals, or road salt can all contaminate the area. Some plants store these contaminants in their tissues, especially roots or older leaves.
With small, shallow-rooted plants like pineapple weed, the risk is lowerâbut not zero.
Hereâs what I do:
đĄ I dig up a few plants, bring them home, and replant them in clean, rich garden soil.
đ± After a few weeks of new growth, I trim back the old roadside foliage.
đ Then I harvest only the fresh...
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