May 29: Field Bindweed and Moneywort

Field Bindweed, though pretty, is one of those plants I would call a wildflower but others might call an invasive weed, though it is in the Wildflowers of Michigan book. It's related to the Morning Glory.

Field Bindweed

As you can tell from the holes in the leaves, somebody likes this plant! And tortoises reportedly love it, so if you have a pet tortoise you can feed it this plant. The plant is not good for humans or livestock to eat, however. And it spreads rapidly -- it's the bane of farmers and gardeners -- so feel free to pick all you want.

Moneywort, also called Creeping Jenny or Creeping Charlie, is also invasive, but is looked upon a bit more kindly. It's called "Moneywort" because the leaves are round like coins. It's an herb.

Moneywort

In olden days the leaves of Moneywort were bruised and then used to staunch blood. Moneywort also has Vitamin C so you can make a tea from it, though I have no idea what that would taste like -- you'd probably want to add honey to it. It's best to pick the leaves when the flowers are in bloom.