Are these weeds edible?

[Frecs]

I posted these in another thread but thought more folks might see it and be able to help if I posted as a new thread.

The following is a list of some of the weeds populating my half acre property and making up what I laughingly refer to as my "lawn". Are these 1) safe and 2) nutritious/beneficial for rabbits?

Weeds already identified:

Wild onions
White (Dutch) Clover
Dandelion
Verbena
Chamber Bitter (Phyllanthus urinaria)
Florida Betony (Stachys floridana)
Red Wood-sorrel (Oxalis rubra)
Lady’s thumb aka smartweed aka knotweed (Persicaria maculate)
Evening primrose
Morning glories going crazy everywhere…
ragweed

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Here are the ones I know:

Wild onions No onions of any kind can be fed to rabbits
White (Dutch) Clover Yes, they love this!
DandelionYes, they love this!
Red Wood-sorrel (Oxalis rubra)No sorrel at all, too much oxalic acid

For the others, look at the Natural Feeding for Rabbits forum. You will find a wealth of information there.

 

[MaggieJ]

Wild onions - Definitely NO
White (Dutch) Clover Fine.
Dandelion Fine.
Verbena No idea what you mean. There are at least two totally different plants that use this as a common name.
Chamber Bitter (Phyllanthus urinaria) Never heard of this plant... I'm likely too far north.
Florida Betony (Stachys floridana) Not certain, but I don't think so.
Red Wood-sorrel (Oxalis rubra) No, too much oxalic acid.
Lady’s thumb aka smartweed aka knotweed (Persicaria maculate) Fine.
Evening primrose No.
Morning glories going crazy everywhere… Some are supposedly safe. They are often on poison lists, however. Don't feed the blooms or seeds.
ragweed Generally considered not safe, but someone on the forum has fed young plants without ill effects.

Might be easier looking at the Safe Plants sticky and looking for plantain, chicory, sow thistles, prickly lettuce and so forth. The botanical names are in the list so that you can google any that are not familiar to you to see pictures. Don't overlook trees: willow, apple. pear. sycamore, elm, hackberry, mulberry and poplar are all safe and very nutritious. You can feed the leaves and twigs as food and give them a section of thicker branch to help keep their teeth from overgrowing.

 

[Jana15]

Florida Betony- This is the main weed I feed, and have never had an ill effect. And it is EVERYWHERE here, so there is always some in the yard. I also dry it and feed it in winter.
It is also know as "Rattlesnake Weed" around here.

 

[MaggieJ]

That is useful information about Florida betony, Jana15. First-hand experience is always valuable. Thanks for posting and I stand corrected.

 

[Frecs]

I have lots of Florida Betony so glad to know it can be food for the rabbits.
Too bad about the wild onions as they are everywhere.
As to the type of verbena I have...from my notes it is Heliotropium amplexicaule

Oh, and another weed I have that has been identified is: Diodia virginiana

 

[MaggieJ]

Diodia virginiana is apparently commonly called Virginia buttonweed. I haven't been able to find anything about it being toxic but nothing that indicates it is safe for rabbits either. You may need a good weed book for your area, one that includes information of plant uses, which should include information about "faunal associations".

These sites may be helpful. Remember that in most cases "edible" refers to humans, not rabbits. In many cases, the plants will be good for both, but don't take it for granted. It is, however, a fairly reliable indicator and can help you pinpoint possible food plants for the rabbits.
http://www.practicalsurvivor.com/wildedibleplants
http://plants.usda.gov/java/

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I am the one who feeds ragweed--As of last summer, my rabbits enjoyed young tender plants, and eventually, the softer portions of the older, woodier ones. Bear in mind, My foraging is happening on vacant properties, along roadside ditches, any nook and cranny where I can find plants that I am sure have not been sprayed-- In the spring, I waited until a few good rains had washed all winter road clearing chemicals off the soil surface. I remember GIANT RAGWEED in Florida-- My ex said I was nuts when I told him I could smell ragweed, but saw none until I LOoked up- he told me it did NOT get that tall-- well, what should be int he newspaper gardening section the next week,? ?... An article about the various ragweed species available and abundant in Florida

One of my rabbits did consume a fairly large amount of a Heritage Morning Glory Plant last fall--"Grandpa Ott" did not recover from THAT pruning! There were no ill effects from that adventure-- BUT-- the rabbit had been grazing on other fresh food all day--

 

[AnnClaire]

I also feed ragweed http://www.alfalfa.okstate.edu/weeds/sumbroad/common_ragweed.htm and even feed the dried plants in the winter ... the buns LOVE them and will start with the seeds first on the dried plants.

However, these are a treat in a varied diet of fresh weeds, grasses, dandelions, dried hay, pellets, a pinch of BOSS in the summer and more in the winter, and a dab of rolled oats. These bunnies also get a good sized branch of hardwood 2x per week. And in the winter, they get a ration of dried leaves 3x per week, and a double handful of winter wheat 2-3x per week. And, the winter hay includes bermuda hay from my lawn, along with horse hay from the feed store.

I also feed honeysuckle vines (japanese variety) and they love that, but I try to limit that and always pull the berries off.

 

[Cottie]

:zombiebun:

I have heritage morning glory, I believe. I hate it. It's everywhere. So general consensus is it's safe in a varied diet? I could toss an inch or three (blood free) to the buns?

I would also like to know more about feeding ragweed...

 

[akane]

We feed wood sorrel as a treat. Guinea pigs and rabbits love it. We fed a lot of it to guinea pigs before we knew better, we thought it was a type of clover and it grew everywhere, and they still didn't seem to suffer. They multiplied just fine and lived 6-10 years.