Watching our property transform in the summer has been a lesson in identifying plants. While recognizing common plants like clovers, dandelions and oaks, ones I’ve only planned to grow have popped up and are thriving. In addition to using the absurd amount of gardening and herbalism books I own, I’ve been using an app called Seek to fill in the blanks. And it’s been so fun! I’m not affiliated with them but running around the yard playing a plant version of Pokemon Go has been a great way to spend the summer.
Here’s what I’ve found so far!
St John’s Wort
Yarrow
Pineapple Weed
Wild Blueberries!
On top of these I’ve also found
- wild raspberries
- goldenrod
- mallow
- mullein
- and so many wild flowers
Some of these I’ve found on our walks with the dogs and have been diligently adding them to my Seek library. I love being able to identify them since I spent all winter pouring over my plant spreadsheets planning my medicinal and culinary gardens. Being able to transplant these babies into more intentional spots is a great way to maintain local diversity and knowing that they’ll survive a Maine winter is a plus.