What is the difference between a weed and a plant?
Plants which are intentionally grown in fields and gardens are called cultivated plants. All other plants which are not supposed to be there and grow unwanted, are called weeds. A weed is therefore a plant growing "in the wrong place".
A plant which you might cultivate in your garden can become a weed if it escapes to a farmer's field - don't leave the flower-heads to set seed.
Some weeds cause harm:-
- Some are parasitic on crops.
- Some are poisonous to cattle and sheep.
- Some are unpalatable or even cause taints in milk or meat.
- Some can cause a problems to animals, e.g. by getting into sheep's wool and be expensive to remove. Some thorns or spines can injure animals.
- Some interfere with farm machinery, getting tangled in the works.
- Some reduce the value of the crop (eg. deadly nightshade in peas, wild oats in cereals)
- Some are a host for pests and diseases.
- Some block drainage and irrigation channels.
- Some grow on non-agricultural land like roadsides and embankments and need cutting down.
Investigations:
- ? You could record garden "escapes" or oilseed rape plants along road verges,
J. Hewitson, Oundle