The French herb is often mistaken for a weed and ends up on the compost. In fact, the French herb is a nutrient bomb that can be useful to us.
The Frenchwort (Galinsoga parviflora) is an inconspicuous plant that can become a gardener's chagrin. We can look at the French herb as a weed in our garden or as an enrichment for our menu and the local herbal pharmacy.
Recognizing French herb: origin and properties
The plant has already traveled a long way, because its area of origin is the Mesoamerican highlands in Mexico and Central America. Today, Frenchwort is a widespread species native to North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is considered a weed in at least 40 countries, mostly in the temperate and subtropical zones, but also in higher elevations in many tropical countries. Humans have made a significant contribution to the spread of French herb by introducing them.
The French herb is a very competitive, frost-sensitive, annual wild plant from the daisy family (Asteraceae) with a short life cycle of often less than 40 days, which means that three to four generations can occur per year. It prefers fresh, warm and nutrient-rich locations, but can adapt to different environments. Frenchweed's rampant spread makes it an unwelcome plant for farmers and gardeners. So the French herb was also given unwelcome names such as garden pest or devil's herb. There are also friendlier names such as small-flowered buttonhead. Another type of button herb can also be found here, the hairy button herb, which we also call shaggy French herb.
How do I recognize Frenchwort? Frenchwort is a herbaceous, upright plant that grows to a height of 20 - 80 cm depending on the growing conditions. In the upper part, the French herb is sparsely covered with fine, dense hairs. The leaves are simple-opposite,the lower leaves with petioles, the upper ones without. The leaf blade is oval to oblong with a sharp tip and blunt teeth on the edge. The inflorescence consists of typical composite plants, each 5 - 8 mm in size and sitting on long axillary flower stalks. The tiny clusters of flowers bear five tridentate white petals around a yellow center. The flowering period is between July and September.
Where does the name French herb come from? The terms French herb and button herb are associated with the Napoleonic wars. The plant was spreading invasively at the time, and the small flowers resemble the buttons on a French soldier's uniform.
Confusion of French herb:
- With the hairy buttonhead: They are related to each other and often appear together.
- When young Frenchwort looks similar to other summer flowers, it is usually confused with sage or liver balm.
French herb as a weed
The French herb likes to colonize open spaces in gardens and vegetable beds, and it often grows under perennials and shrubs. Because each individual plant can produce up to 400,000 seeds and spread quickly and massively. Frenchweed is a very competitive, fast spreading plant, often being the dominant species in a field and stunting the growth of crops.
Fighting Frenchwort: Once the plant is established in your garden, it must be weeded, preferably before flowering. Because the tiny clusters of flowers produce an abundance of seeds that ripen almost immediately. So the usual weed control strategy of removing the weeds before the flowers fade and the seeds mature doesn't work here. Once the plant has flowered, it is already on its way to producing the next generation of French herb.
In addition, before the French herb germinates, mulch materials such as bark mulch can be used to control weeds. We recommend spreading a layer of mulch between 7 and 15 cm high to naturally suppress weed growth. Our sustainably produced Plantura organic pine bark, for example, can be used as a biological mulch material. With its coarse structure, it can be used for a long time and also looks natural.
Tip: French herb can be used as green manure, but it must be done correctlybe milled under, not just incorporated, otherwise it will simply continue to grow. In addition, mowing should be done before flowering, so that countless seeds are not brought in when milling under.
Is Frenchwort notifiable? Although Frenchwort is invasive, it is not economically damaging enough to be classified as a reportable plant.
Is French herb edible or poisonous?
All parts of the plant are edible and can be consumed by humans and animals. Rodents and turtles like to eat the plant fresh.
Use and medicinal properties of French herb
The young leaves, stems and flowers can be used as an ingredient in smoothies, salads, stews or juices. It can also be prepared as a leafy vegetable like spinach. The dried plant is also used as a soup spice or tea.
For breakfast or in between, a green smoothie with French herb is recommended. To do this, first puree a banana for sweetness and two handfuls of French herb in a blender. Then add a large handful of fruit of your choice, such as pineapple or strawberries, and blend the smoothie until there are no chunks left. Freezing the fruit beforehand makes a delicious and he althy ice cream.
The French herb is a true nutrient bomb and should be served more often as a local superfood. It is one of the most iron-rich plants in our fields and also contains a lot of calcium, magnesium, vitamins A and C.
Here in Germany, the healing effects of French herb are not so well known, but in other regions of the world it is an important plant in the medicine cabinet. For example, it can be used to neutralize nettle stings or help stop bleeding from cuts and wounds. In India, for example, a s alted extract from the leaves is used to treat diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, as well as boils and chickenpox. In Colombia, the boiled French herb leaves are drunk to counteract excess stomach acid.
In addition to the French herb, there are many other plants that we consider weeds, but which can be an enrichment for our kitchen. Here we introduce you to other useful weeds.