Article Reflection No. 52 (5/28/2023)

Article: What Is a Weed?

Upon the search "weed gardening", the first page of results include three consecutive sites that address how to control or remove weeds.

Reflection:

In the article “What Is a Weed?”, New Yorker staff writer Rivka Galchen elaborates on a fresher perspective of weeds (their benefits and evolution in history) while informing readers of the inherently negative view that many have of these organisms. As herbicide immunity has become stronger in weeds over the past years, they are prevalent today and may be viewed as some sort of invasive species, Galchen suggests. However, the latter holds a valuable, beneficial role in the area where it may be least expected to do so: agriculture. For example, as stated in the article, beggarweed, a legumes plant, was viewed as a “superior forage crop” in the late 1800s with its ability to bring abundant, rich hay harvests. However, as technological advancements (mules and horses) surfaced over the decades, the weed was deemed less essential to the success of such harvests and, as a result, grew to take advantage of the herbicides. Given how these weeds were near peanut plants, when the quantity of large leaves and grass around the latter decreased, there was more space available for the beggarweed to grow.

The example about the beggarweed seems to convey how we, humans, have a large role in the public view by which certain objects or organisms—in this case, weeds—are seen. From what I’ve heard over the past years, weeds are generally viewed as a nuisance because they hinder the ability for plants to grow. This article provided insight on how weeds do not deserve such criticism, reminding me of the importance of seeing the different perspectives of each event or “nuisance”. For a fuller, bigger picture.

Definition from Oxford Languages Dictionary

Horticulture- (n.) “the art or practice of garden cultivation and management”