Went to the local horticulture office today (university)...

[Miss M]

I spent a little bit this morning pulling up samples of 10 weeds in our yard, and placed each in a zip sandwich bag, hoping its own humidity would help keep it fresh (it did, very well!). The kids, my mom, and I went to the local university ag center to speak with the horticulturist there to get them identified.

I've been trying, trying, TRYING to use plant ID things, and I just have not been able to get anywhere. I don't understand the horticultural terms well enough, or occasionally the tool is way too simple.

Well, the horticulturist was not there, he's way out of town. He travels all over the state for his job. Understandable. The lady at the office was wonderful. She called the guy, and it turned out he was having some down time, and was eager to ID a few plants. So she got a white sheet of paper and photographed each one and emailed him the pictures. He replied with the identifications. Wow!

Now I'm just trying to find out whether or not the rabbits can eat them.

I already know that I have a couple of weeds that the rabbits can have:

Dollarweed (Hydrocotyle umbellata) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1247/

Mock Strawberry (Duchesnea chrysantha or, according to Wikipedia, "Potentilla indica, formerly Duchesnea indica") http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2265/

So I've been looking into the ten I had identified today, to see if rabbits can eat them. Here they are:

Wild Violet (Viola papilionacea) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/437/ -- SAFE, from what I've read

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaria_media -- SAFE, from what I've read

Bedstraw (Galium aparine) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53011/ -- SAFE, from what I've read

Pony's Foot (Dichondra carolinensis http://houstonwildedibles.blogspot.com/ ... -foot.html -- ??? Edible, but rabbit resistant?

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2649/ -- Rabbit resistant, which I guess means probably unsafe?

Buttercup (Ranunculus carolinianus) http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/143785 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus -- Toxic fresh, but safe dried, at least in small amounts, because the toxin degrades when it is dried?

Nightshade (WHAT?!? I have Nightshade growing wild in my yard?!?) -- Having trouble identifying the species. Would assume to be highly toxic, but apparently cottontails can eat Nightshade with no problems. Strange, since we can't, and since they can't eat tomato and pepper leaves. I'd rather just eradicate the stuff. Yikes.

A plant he wasn't sure about (hey, they were cell phone pics!), tentatively ID'd as Mock Strawberry. Since I have Mock Strawberry in the yard, I'm reasonably certain that's not what it is. Its leaves look a lot like the Wild Geranium, but they are actually rather wide spade-shaped or heart-shaped rather than oval-shaped. The structure of the plant is similar neither to the Wild Geranium, nor to the Mock Strawberry.

A plant he identified as a Sow Thistle, but when I look that up, I don't see this plant. This has fuzzy, long leaves with only very slightly toothed edges.

A plant he identified as Hairy Bowlezia. When I look that up, I get no results at all. :shock: It also has leaves somewhat similar to the Wild Geranium, but a different structure.

All in all, a very productive trip! I have species ID on 6 out of 10, family ID on one, and possible ID on two which I can't confirm, and only one about which I am reasonably certain is not what he thought. But that is not bad at all for cell phone pictures!!! I am very grateful.

How do my results sound?

 

[Anntann]

Well done! Don't you just love the ag forage experts? Good info, Miss M. Thank you

 

[ladysown]

Is there perhaps what he means by sow thistle? http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cro ... 03-041.htm (prickly lettuce and sow thistle look quite similar). Prickly lettuce is highly edible and seems to be an excellent remedy for upset bunny tummies.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Wow, I have tons of that Catch Straw! Good to know they can eat it. I wasn't sure I would try, because I figured they would not like the stickiness.

 

[MaggieJ]

Why on earth would a plant expert not provide you with the botanical names??? Common names are sometimes worse than useless because they differ from area to area. I remember one person on another forum who heard that cattails are safe for rabbits and so gathered huge amounts of what I know as teasels. She said they were called cattails where she was. If she had used botanical names this would never have happened.

 

[Miss M]

Is there perhaps what he means by sow thistle? http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cro ... 03-041.htm (prickly lettuce and sow thistle look quite similar). Prickly lettuce is highly edible and seems to be an excellent remedy for upset bunny tummies.

That's not what I have either... the leaves on this plant are oblong and nearly smooth, save for the occasional small tooth. I'll get a pic when I can.

Wow, I have tons of that Catch Straw! Good to know they can eat it. I wasn't sure I would try, because I figured they would not like the stickiness.

I know... but apparently they will eat raspberry canes and rose stalks, thorns and all. I just fed my buns a bull thistle, which is an incredibly mean plant! Even the little buns were nibbling on it. One of them got poked on the cheek, though, and started rubbing its cheek with a tiny paw. Cute! :lol:

Why on earth would a plant expert not provide you with the botanical names??? Common names are sometimes worse than useless because they differ from area to area. I remember one person on another forum who heard that cattails are safe for rabbits and so gathered huge amounts of what I know as teasels. She said they were called cattails where she was. If she had used botanical names this would never have happened.

It did surprise me... I figured it was because he was not actually there handling them, and he was trying to communicate through someone else. I basically looked at the information he gave me as a starting point, that would allow me to research them.

 

[MaggieJ]

Regarding wild violets, I have heard that the leaves are okay but the seeds are toxic. Something to watch for when researching for the buns.

 

[Miss M]

Regarding wild violets, I have heard that the leaves are okay but the seeds are toxic. Something to watch for when researching for the buns.

That's right... I remember seeing your post about that on GardenWeb! Thank you for the reminder!

 

[tailwagging]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heV9TnfGfWM

 

[MaggieJ]

Excellent series for plant identification, Tailwagging!

All you folks who are having trouble IDing weeds, check out Green Deane's many videos in his Eat the Weeds series.

Eat The Weeds website:

http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatTheWe ... chive.html