The Drive-by Botanist: Dock, Sheep Sorrel, Bedstraw

July 13, 2019

Like most Americans, I spend a lot of time in the car. (This article contends that Americans who drive spend 17,600 minutes, or 290 hours--the equivalent of seven 40-hour work weeks!--behind the wheel.) How can you have a relationship with nature when you're speeding by it at 65+ miles per hour?

The truth is, I love looking out the window (thanks for driving, Steven) to get a bird's eye view of what's growing (on) outdoors. On our recent trip up to Maine, I was noticing fluffy white clouds floating just above the the height of the grasses, and was thrilled to recognize--Bedstraw! This particular weed is Hedge Bedstraw (Galium mollugo). It has many edible and medicinal uses, but I first learned of it as a stuffing for mattresses.

The sighting of Bedstraw reminded me of another driving experience from early June, when the Sheep Sorrel sends up its flowers. In the first photo, do you see the rusty red patches hovering above the grass? Those are the flower heads of Sheep Sorrel (second picture), another lovely sour green, recognizable by its lance-shaped leaves (third picture). When these coppery clouds appear in early June along the highways, I say, "Hello, old friend!"

Dock is one of the most recognizable of roadside plants. You'll remember it as one of our contenders in Battle of the Blands. Dock goes from unnoticeable green in spring to stand-out in mid-summer. Its towering brown seed stalks are one of the most visible features of the summer/late summer landscape. Fortunately, these seed stalks persist through the winter--when most of our other edibles are buried under the snow.

It might feel, as we are rushing through the landscape, going about our modern lives, that we have little connection to nature. But for me, recognizing these plant friends as I drive by is reassuring. The sustenance of nature is out there, ready for me, just waiting for me to come back outside.