#red henbit

[rebeccathenaturalist]

How to Identify Red Deadnettle

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/how-to-identify-red-deadnettle/

Name: Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)

Range and typical habitat(s): Native to large areas of Europe and Asia. Introduced invasive in United States, New Zealand, and  scattered areas of South America

Distinguishing physical characteristics (size, colors, overall shapes, detail shapes): Keep your eyes on lawns, gardens, roadsides, and other sunny areas this spring, and you may very well see the green and purple foliage of red deadnettle.

These heart-shaped leaves with softly serrated edges are covered in fine hairs. Leaves near the top of the slender, square-shaped stem are more of a reddish purple hue, while lower, larger leaves are a medium green. The leaves rarely exceed an inch and a half in length, and are attached to the stem with a slender stalk. Each leaf has palmate veins–several primary veins all starting near the stem–branching off multiple times into a reticulated network of smaller veins.

At the top of the stem, which may be almost a foot long in extraordinary specimens, you may find tiny pinkish purple trumpet-shaped flowers. A close look reveals one large petal at the top, two smaller ones at the bottom, and sometimes a few tiny ones in the space in between. While flowers are easily in evidence this time of year, red deadnettle may flower in other seasons if conditions are favorable. As it is an annual, it will die back in fall, but new generations are quick to germinate before winter sets in. For those wishing to remove it from their gardens, the shallow root systems mean that it is easy to pull up, especially in wet soil.

Red deadnettle is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). While it resembles a very tiny stinging nettle (Urtica spp.), its tiny hairs do not cause irritation, hence being described as “dead”. Other common names for this plant include purple deadnettle and purple archangel.

Other organisms it could be confused with and how to tell the difference: Purple henbit (Lamium amplexicale) is the most common lookalike for red deadnettle. They inhabit the same habitat types and are of similar size and colors. Upon closer inspection, the leaves are a good way to tell the difference. Henbit leaves are more rounded in shape with a scalloped, rather than serrated, edge. In fact, they almost give the impression of one large round leaf surrounding the square stem, especially near the top. The upper leaves have no stalks, while lower leaves have short stalks. While henbit has similar flowers, they are longer than those of deadnettle.

Note how henbit’s leaves and flowers are shaped and arranged differently than deadnettle’s.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is similar to purple henbit, but the rounded, scalloped leaves are often a darker green on a green to dark red stem. Also, all the leaves have a small stem. It is easily differentiated from deadnettle by its flowers, which although being of a similar shaped are blue to purple in color. Ground ivy is also more shade-tolerant than deadnettle. As with the others, it is a European plant that has become invasive in North America.

Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) is yet another European wildflower that has taken root in North America and New Zealand, and to a lesser degree in South America. Its size is the most obvious way to differentiate it from red deadnettle and the rest; it grows on a single stalk that may be over thirty inches tall. The serrated, oval leaves and the yellow flowers are also larger than those of deadnettle, and there is no reddish tint to the foliage.

The stinging nettles (Urtica spp.) can similarly be differentiated from red dead nettle by size. Particularly tall specimens may reach seven feet high, and the green, heart-shaped leaves can be up to six inches long. The leave margins are more sharply serrated and the end is pointier. And, as the name suggests, the leaves and stems have hairs that inject irritating chemicals into the skin.

Anything else worth mentioning? Red deadnettle is a beginner-friendly edible plant for foraging. Henbit is the plant it’s most likely to be confused with, and it is also edible. People most commonly eat the young leaves and flowers at the top of the plant; they may be eaten raw or cooked. Because it is an invasive species, you are encouraged to pick the whole plant before it goes to seed, eat what you want of it, and compost the rest.

Further Reading:

Red Dead-Nettle

Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Dead Nettle

Dead Nettle, Henbit, and Ground Ivy – Three Look-Alike Weeds

Dead Nettle, an Overlooked yet Valuable Wild Edible

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[inthecityofgoodabode]

March 2023: Sunday Walk

Breakfast... well, as late as we got up, it was probably more like brunch: 

Seen while walking: 

The vetch is starting to bud out: 

Mole tunnel: 

Green & gray: 

[ayanos-pl]

ホトケノザとヒメオドリコソウ

[sergle]

Summer colors are yellow because all my grass died

like if I'm getting REAL literal w seasonal symbolism re: temperature blanket, yellows are a color I'd lean toward temperature ranges that indicate Springtime for me, paired with lighter shades of purpy, bc SO many flowers in early spring hit one of those two color families. Early showings of henbit and dandelions, daffodils, grape hyacinth, forsythia, irises come to mind. Tho I guess you could argue those same color families for summer too LMAO. just in general. those colors always seem to be next to eachother. actually if I think about it, I could sign off on any colors being sold for summer as long as it's not "let's do red bc red is hot" reasoning.

[janewilsonrva]

A Small World

Richmond, Virginia (USA)

Photo from March 25, 2023.

Like Red/Purple Deadnettle and Henbit Deadnettle, Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a member of the Mint family of plants. Europeans used it medicinally and brought it with them to other continents. Although it's considered to be an invasive non-native in many places, its small purple flowers and scalloped leaves form lovely patches along the shady banks of the creek.

[dansnaturepictures]

7th September 2023: Winchester, Lakeside and home

Photos in this set: 1. An enchanting Long-tailed Tit that I enjoyed seeing in the sun when cutting through Lakeside this morning. 2. A Peregrine at Winchester Cathedral I believe Winnie. I was very excited to see a Peregrine here for the second day running I am on quite a good run of seeing them here for the time of year as we come away from the breeding season. It was exceptional to watch her once more, seeing some wing stretches and preening. And I'm thrilled to early on make it another month consecutively that I've photographed a Winchester Peregrine in. 3. Lovely Woodpigeon at the River Itchen. 4. Beautiful red flowers in Winchester which it was great to see. 5. A stunning sunny scene at the river. 6 and 7. Yellow and green leaves and a view at Lakeside this morning. 8 and 9. Views in Winchester, I relished seeing green leaves against bright blue sky again today with a fair few yellow leaves on the ground and on trees a key theme this week. 10. Herb-Robert by the River Itchen.

It was also good to see Small White, Magpie, bee, wasp, hoverfly, raucous bold Carrion Crows at Lakeside this evening, Herring Gull, ragwort, fleabane, white clover, broad-leaved clover, ivy-leaved toadflax, willowherb, daisies by the water at the river and near Lakeside, pineappleweed, orpine, roses, fox-and-cubs, red or henbit deadnettle and hear a Robin's lullaby at Lakeside this evening. Fly, moth and ladybird were interesting to see at home in the evening with Magpie and Collared Dove out the back today and yesterday.

[toadstoolgardens]

Foraging for Self-Heal

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) is a common, highly nutritious, highly medicinal herb. Also known as heal-all and woundwort, this herb has a variety of healing purposes and has been used extensively in traditional medicine.

Self-heal is often considered a weed. It grows abundantly making it easy to forage for, you may have even seen it growing in your yard! There are no toxic look-alikes making self-heal a great choice for all levels of foragers and herbalists.

Finding Self-Heal

Self-heal is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, growing in many different climates and in partial shade or full sun. It can often be found in disturbed areas, yards, gardens, fields, meadows, and along the edges of rivers and lakes. This varies by region but self-heal blooms in late spring, summer, & fall.

Identifying Self-Heal

Self-heal has purple flowers that grow in a square-shaped cluster at the top of the stem. It's a perennial in the mint family, but it doesn't have a scent like many other mints.

The stem is square-shaped and reddish in color. The leaves are oval-shaped that end in a point, dark green, with little hairs on them. Self-heal grows low to the ground and usually in large patches 2 feet or more in diameter.

Harvesting Self-Heal

Harvest self-heal when it's young and before it's gone to seed. Be aware that self-heal is considered a weed so be extra sure your foraging location is clean and hasn't been sprayed with anything! The leaves, stems, and flowers are all usable. Self-heal can be used fresh or dried depending on your needs.

Self-heal is also easy to grow (maybe a little too easy, it spreads quickly and can regenerate from shoot fragments so it can easily take over cleared areas. So keep in mind that you may want to contain it lol). When planted after the last frost in the spring it grows quickly and can be easily propagated. Mountain Rose Herbs (a trusted source for organic seeds) sells self-heal seeds for $4!

Self-Heal Look-Alikes

There are no toxic look alikes! Self-heal does look similar to purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), but both are nutritious edible and medicinal plants too so you really can't go wrong, but as always please use additional resources to identify and only forage with 100% confidence!!

Edible Uses of Self-Heal

Self-heal is highly nutritious and slightly bitter with a sort of similar taste to rosemary. It can be eaten raw and is a great addition to salads. You can also cook your self-heal and use it like you would any other fresh herb like rosemary or sage, it's very good in dishes like soups and stews.

Medicinal Uses of Self-Heal

Self-heal is well known for being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and beneficial for the immune system. You can take self-heal as a tincture or a tea during a cold or flu to boost your immune system.

Self-heal is also amazing for healing (minor) wounds, scratches, cuts, and a variety of skin ailments (like dry, scaly, red, chapped, or flaky skin). Turn it into a poultice or a salve to use for this purpose.

Be safe and happy foraging!🌿💖

Source

[glass-expanse]

I think season supremacists have overrated points of view. Winter, spring, summer, and fall each have beautiful parts to them as well as uncomfortable parts. But being outside during any of them is so beautiful, raw, and enjoyable. What a wonderful job God did on seasons.

Like. There's breeze. And sometimes it's wet and sometimes it's dry. And the clouds change. And goodness have you ever paid attention to how the trees change? Like, really paid attention? It's a testament to God's creativity and a wonderful lesson in growth.

To watch the buds go from dapper red buttons on skeletal limbs to sails of vibrant green, deepening and fluttering gaily in summer winds, only to blush scarlet and fall to the ground, leaving the skeletal guardian forlorn and vigilant once more? It's like watching our own lives unfold in patterns so beautiful and terrible and raw and wonderful.

And the plants that grow in a reckless field. Watching the first breaths of green peak through last year's golden-gray carpet, the delicate leaves of chickweed and mustards and henbit and dandelion popping up while it's still cold, to be replaced by bolder daffodils and then brilliant dancing irises and quaint yarrow and demure clover, and the wild roses perfume the air above where the violets had died, then you see the day lilies and the echinacea and the sweet blue cornflowers that reach up with spindly hands, and then the fields explode into the brilliance of goldenrod dotted with tiny, tender white asters, and then the rosehips explode from reddening rose cane and the tender stems of queen ann's lace become woody scepters, and the grass goes brown again? Just like different responsibilities and people have been placed in our lives at just the right time so that the field of our lives may be colorful and continually nourished and bearing fruit.

And through it all, the currents of breezes makes you feel alive, like you could fly, like you could die tomorrow or live forever, and it caresses the earth and then it strikes it in the next breath, ripening the berries to black sweetness and shriveling the leaves to brilliant litter, kissing the rain of the late spring shower and driving the sleet in mid winter, blowing your hair in your face and out, keeping you cool on the hottest summer days, winding its way through trees and up hills, a messenger of how the world carries on. It reminds me of the Holy Spirit who continues His sanctifying work in us, continuing to refine us by bolstering us in the Word and convicting us of our sin, holding us tight moment to moment and keeping our lives moving forward on the path God has laid out for us: the path that leads us closer to Him.

To say one season is better than another is foolish... for each season is beautifully a part of the others and yet unique in its own way. You can hate the bitter cold... despise the sweat of the beating sun... but there is beauty in every season and what's important is we don't forget that. Every season has a purpose and every season always holds in it the potential to praise God (since, after all, we are to praise Him regardless of circumstance).

Stay present and stay thankful throughout all seasons. And remember that seasons in a year aren't the only seasons worth making the most of.

[ghostlyfoliage]

Every year, my sister and mother beat back the henbit, ground ivy, and miner's lettuce... and every winter it sprouts back up.

To me, it's just a reminder that even in harsh conditions, life goes on. I love walking around their garden in winter when most of the plants have died back, eyeing the dense mats that crop up from last year's seeds.

[ainawgsd]

Spring Wildflowers

[yandere-sins]

The Alien Project - Chapter II

Wordcount: 5040 Warnings: Yandere/Dark Romance, Aliens, Alien Cannibalism, Graphic content, Fear of Death, Emotional, Shattered Hope, Inappropriate Touches, Slime, Tentacle Mention, Wound Mention Featured Aliens: The Glutton @yanderewulf​; Horoia Henbit @baritonelorenia​

a/n: Thank you everyone for being patient! I think I struggled a bit to overcome my insecurity working with the first Alien submission, since I always fear to get them super wrong >-< But I think for the first appearance, it’s definitely interesting to have the first alien able to communicate with us here ♥ I hope to get the chapters out at least once a week from now on, and I’ll work on myself to overcome my struggles! Please enjoy ♥

The Glutton - Chapter II

While there was a sense of unease in you, you eventually fell asleep, exhausted and spent from the events going down. While your mind drifted off, you didn’t feel anything, neither if you were comfy inside the creature nor if it was safe. No sound reached your ears, and nothing disturbed you as you hugged yourself. Your sleep was deep and only filled with nightmares, your feelings being taken out of proportion in your dreams.

Panic, fear, exhaustion. Everything had its spotlight as you dreamed about the forced landing of your spaceship, the red lights and sirens all around you robbing you of your breath and clear thoughts. Then it suddenly changed, sharp yellow eyes staring down at you in the blue forest. You kept running and running until you fell deep into a hole, never reaching the ground before your eyes snapped open, bringing you back to reality. Panting, you sat up, trying to comfort yourself with the thought of it just being nightmares. But was it?

The slime was still moving, and from what you could see, you were still in one piece as well. It was quite a relief to see you weren’t being digested by it, the only pain that remained were the cuts on your skin and a new kind of tension in your back. You must have been curled up for a while to have grown so stiff, and even slow movements were hard to manage. However, you turned around, your eyes fixating on the forest outside the slime, when your scream shook the space inside the creature.

“WOAH!” you added after a second passed, your own voice still ringing in your ears. Your barely awake brain needed the time to understand what was going on. Scrambling as far away as you could from the creature lurking next to you, staring at you with what you could only describe as curiosity, you were hit with shock. At the same time, you couldn’t look away, even as the creature’s body contorted, moving alongside the slime.

“Good morning, little Human,” it hummed, its voice pleasant even though you couldn’t yet make out all of its body’s features. You glanced over it, noting all the plant-like frills that seemed to sprout from its body like leaves and blooms. The rest was either covered by fabric akin to a poncho or foliage covering it up. The thicket of the jungle hid a lot of its body, despite the massive height of the creature. Even when it was bending down to your level, you had a hard time discerning which part was forest and which creature. However, the biggest surprise was when the frills finally opened up around its neck as it noticed your eyes scanning over it, revealing its head was that of a human.

You couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief seeing familiar features, even though they were different through and through. Somehow the similarities eased your mind, but you kept yourself aware of the fact that this was not your home planet, and this was certainly not a human. It was all fake comfort in the form of a man, and even his seemingly kind smile unsettled you. His purple skin stuck out against the dark green foliage covering him, but blended in well with the blue plants that made up most of the forest. The shape of the leaves on him reminded you of a nettle flower, but at the same time, it seemed impossible to make a connection to something you knew from home. Whatever he was, he must have been his own species, much different from the slime at least.

“What are you?” was the only thing you could come up with after you inspected his body. The creature recoiled a little in surprise, straightening out to his full, imposing height. After the words left your mouth, you immediately felt rude for asking something like that. Still, your scientific curiosity had won over basic etiquette. Uncomfortable, you moved around in your little air bubble, the slime trudging on without caring for the creature next to it. Even though the slime was not nearly as tall as the creature beside it, it didn’t seem too agitated by his presence, which must have meant it didn’t fear him.

“I am me. I’d rather like to know how you got inside this thing and are still alive?” he answered your question with one of his own, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “I can’t imagine a human not tasting good enough to eat.”

At this, you gulped, having no reply. You neither knew why the slime was carrying you around nor how you even survived any of the deadly encounters in your life lately. You didn’t even want to start thinking about if you were tasty or not…

“You wouldn’t happen to know how humans taste, do you?”

Asking this was risky. Did you really want to know if this alienated creature had encountered someone else from your crew? Would he even answer?

Shaking his head - the frills and leaves moving accordingly with a tender rustle - you felt relief wash over you, as well as a tinge of disappointment. The whereabouts of your crew were still unknown. You were glad to not have to confirm their death, but it was frustrating and scary to think you were the only one left. The only one that survived. Even though you couldn’t take all the credit for that. Without the slime, you’d not have made it this long for sure.

Staying quiet for a bit, you reconsidered what this creature was, allowing your gaze to examine him again. The thicket was thinning out, revealing four bent kangaroo legs moving over the ground, giving the creature quite some advantage when crossing through the jungle, you could imagine. Even though he had the face of a human, and you thought to have also seen human hands somewhere between the leaves, you couldn’t really match the features to anyone you had ever met. At least it was not something as cruel as a mutation from one of your colleagues like in the movies, so could it be… Was it really an alien? Something humanity had imagined for centuries as little green imps?

Perhaps he was a plant, considering how his body seemed to sprout its own foliage. But since he proved to be a sentient being, able to talk to you, ‘flora’ didn’t seem like the proper term to describe him either. You desperately tried to make sense of the alien, as that was the only thing that could possibly calm you down. If he were to make sense, you could have started to understand what you were seeing. However, it was wishful thinking that you could properly understand this lifeform from the position you were in. You were left with a dreadful uncertainty, making you cower further away from the creature, having only the slime to reassure you with its protection.

Suddenly, the slime halted, and so did your breath as your air bubble tightened up. Was it going to spit you out? Eat you after all? What was going on? But instead, the slime stretched upwards, and the alien took a step away from it hastily, as little feelers came out of the purple mass, reaching towards him.

“Oh-oh,” the alien chuckled, not sounding too happy as he took a wary stance.

“W-What’s happening?” you asked, pressing your palms into the slime around you as its body closed off around you. Looking around in panic, you felt helpless inside this creature, wondering if it was finally going to devour you like you always feared. There was no help to be expected if you’d die here, and the alien outside the slime didn’t seem too eager to lend a hand either.

“Guess I got a bit too close for comfort, huh? Time to go!”

Your head jerked forward again, eyes fixating on the huge form now rushing away from you as you let out a fearful, “Wait!” However, climbing over roots and ducking between bushes, he was gone as fast as he had seemingly appeared. You realized he blended into these wilds better than you first thought, losing sight of him immediately despite the thicket’s rustling.

Frustrated over the lack of help, you felt tears burn in your eyes again when suddenly, the slime relaxed, giving you space to breathe. Slumping down into your makeshift bubble, you took a shaky breath, trying to calm the racing of your heart, the adrenaline rush needing to settle first. Above you, the treetops had started to open up more, letting in some light, and for the first time, you realized it was day, another thought crossing your mind as you had time to think.

“Did you try to protect me?” you whispered, running your hand along the slime wall you were facing. As if it understood you, the slime bubbled up briefly. The change of texture seemed intentional as it moved you around inside it gently. Without another care for that alien getting away, the slime moved on, further and further through the jungle, and you had no choice but to let it, hoping it would not lead you to your doom.

The world passed you by in a mix of rays of light tingling on your skin and a blue haze.

You made out the forms and colors of the plants around you, trying to connect them to what you knew from home, but without much success. Most of the time, it seemed like you were passing over, through, and under roots, and the other times, branches of bushes or fern leaves slid along the slime’s surface too quickly to study them. The hues of blue were making you sick, but whenever light - you assumed from this planet’s own sun - hit the slime, its purple coloring soothed you back into relaxation. There wasn’t anything other to do anyway but sit back and wait.

Even though you tried to climb out once, you couldn’t make it. Your hands would slip into the slime before being unable to slice through it any further. The mass would grow hard and frigid, stopping in its tracks to shake itself and you out of its body. But it wouldn’t let you outside your bubble either.

How long were you going to be here? Wondering that, you touched your stomach, feeling a pinch of hunger. But much more annoying was your dry throat, pleading with you to wet it with water. You’d be able to go without food for a long time, but the lack of water and seeing water anywhere in this jungle was concerning, to say the least. Even if it was nice to be able to breathe and walk on this planet, without being able to sustain yourselves, humans would not have a big chance on it.

Maybe you were going mad, but you let out a chuckle, thinking there was at least enough wood around to build many, many houses.

Feeling a shift in the slime, you got ready to squeeze through another twisted root. Instead, you felt your body fall forward as the slime descended into the ground. Your view went dark again, and you looked back woefully at the lights from outside the hole the slime was crawling into, hoping it would not be the last time you’d see it. Even after all that happened, or perhaps especially because of it, you couldn’t help but be pessimistic about every move your body made.

That was, until you heard faint beeping in the distance.

The hole was inside of the jungle ground, but even here, smaller versions of the lumps emitting blue light illuminated the space. There wasn’t a lot of room, but enough so you’d be able to stand upright and move around, at least eight steps from one wall to another. Finally, the slime decided it had carried you enough, splitting in half and opening up towards the hole. You were surprised to see it act this way after denying you for so long, but it also didn’t give you time to hesitate, gently pushing you out of it until you dropped to the ground.

Dry leaves and sticks had accumulated on the hole’s floor, but you were overcome by joy now that you were outside. Even though you saw how the slime periodically took in new air while you were watching the trees pass by on your journey, you now felt like you were breathing for yourself again. As if you had the first taste of fresh air after being locked up for a long time.

Looking around, you saw the smaller roots sticking out from the dirt walls around you, the hole resembling a little cave if not for the differences in materials. You made out small bugs crawling around, and though they made you shudder, it was good to see ‘normal’ wildlife for a change. Oversized panthers, slimes, and plant-like aliens didn’t quite fit the category. Unwilling disturbed from exploring the hole by the reoccurring sound in your ears, you focused on the beeping echoing around you, trying to find out where it was coming from.

Standing up, you were a bit unsteady on your legs, but you had to do what you had to do. Stumbling deeper inside the room, you occasionally saw a red light flash in the dim light, settled into a corner, and letting out the soft beeps. You had your suspicion, but the closer you came, the more you held your breath in anticipation until you squatted down right before the device.

You let your hand wipe away some of the dirt on the device’s body, feeling the words carved into it under your fingertip. “Planet 59211 Discovery Bot 5” was etched into the cold metal body, and your lips began to quiver as you were grappled by hope. “Oh my god,” you whispered, turning around to the slime who laid wait at the entrance. “You brought me to one of the robots…”

You could barely believe that it would do that, despite being the one who first mentioned them. Giving credit where credit was due, you were so overcome with relief, your body relaxing as you whispered, “Thank you,” earnestly in the slimes direction. The slime perked up a little, then wiggled before going back into its original shape, blocking the entrance to the hole. It was trying to help you, give you time to be undisturbed.

With shaky hands, you reached out to the robot, carefully pulling it from its earthy grave where it had gotten stuck. It seemed corrosion had started on its moveable features, not allowing it to work properly anymore, but you weren’t mad. At least this way, you had been able to find it on this planet. Seeing how it was still beeping and blinking, it must have been the one robot that still sent signals to earth, and if that was the case, it should have the ability to send pictures as well.

Feeling its body with your hands, you made out where the loose parts were, gently pushing them back into place and hoping it would stabilize the signal. You were no technician, especially not for such tricky mechanics, but you did what you could to make it work. From your information, you knew it had been sent here less than a few months ago, arriving on this planet just before you started your mission. Its natural lifespan shouldn’t be depleted yet, and it could still work if you brought it back on track.

Pulling the robot more into the light with you, you inspected it, turning it over carefully, seeing if it was clanking or missing anything. But you could find nothing of those sorts, so why was the monitor on top of it still black? The robot wasn’t much bigger than a Roomba, perhaps a middle-sized dog, so you could take it on your lap as you fiddled with it, completely enthralled with the idea of making it work. You didn’t even notice the slime peering over your shoulder.

The longer it took, the more frustrated you grew, your hope slowly dying away again. Even though you really shouldn’t, you let a fist fall to the top of the robot, angrily begging it to work again, when the display suddenly flashed up. You immediately felt scared that you had broken it, but the surprise hit you like a truck as it began to speak.

“...S-... Ro-... 211-” you heard coming from the slightly broken sound transmitters. Despite its weight, you lifted the robot up in your hand, feeling desperate as you yelled, “Hello?! Can you hear me?! Is anyone there?!”

“...Hear-... Can’t-... Who?-”

You were shaking as you held back the tears, hearing the fragments of sentences and questions, knowing that someone on earth was with you, and at the same time, they weren’t. “Work, please!” you yelled, jiggling the machine in your hands when the picture suddenly stabilized. You immediately halted, too afraid that if you moved again, it would mess up something inside the robot.

“We have a picture!” the voice yelled, and the monitor stopped giving you streaks of white as it stabilized on your end, too, showing you who you were speaking with. Or rather, ALL the people you were speaking with. There were countless faces pushing around in front of the camera, trying to see what was going on, but only one young man with wide eyes sat in the center of them all, operating the whole thing with a mic hanging from his headset.

“Oh my god,” you whispered again, too afraid to wipe the tears from your face. The people oohed and aahed in the background, with only the man seemingly serious as he looked into your eyes. There were no words to describe how you felt in that very moment, being able to see your kind and communicate with them after what felt like a small eternity.

“Wait, you are from the discovery mission!” he recognized you, and you nodded your head. His eyes beamed up, having just made a massive discovery on his end as well, and you were mesmerized by how beautiful it was to witness someone overcome with happiness to see you.

“Yes!” you confirmed joyfully, and everyone behind him seemed even giddier about what was happening. You kept your eyes focused on the main in the center of the commotion, knowing he was your man, the one you’d be forever grateful to once he helped you escape this hell.

“What happened? We lost signal with the ship two days ago!” the man asked you, his brows furrowing. You gulped, thinking back to all that happened to you, having to be the bearer of bad news.

“We crash-landed, a meteor hit us, and we went down in this… jungle. There’s… there’s so much going on, but I don’t know where everyone else is! I’m all alone, and there are panthers, and aliens, and-”

“Okay, okay, slow down!” he interrupted, and you realized you had started to ramble. Swallowing what you wanted to say, you took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself. “I– We need help. The ship is split into parts, and I don’t know how long we can survive here.”

“I understand. We’ll do what we can, okay? Stay calm.”

Honestly, his words weren’t too reassuring, but you were glad to have been able to contact Earth. You had never seen something as beautiful as all those operators talking and witnessing you. That you were still alive. Nodding, you tried to keep your composure as he continued questioning you. “Can you send us your location?”

“N-No, I only have this robot, and I don’t know how to get back to the ship.”

“Okay, please try to keep the discovery robot as it is, and I’ll try to get the signal.”

You grasped the metal harder, feeling its cold body between your hands, filled with all your hope. Trying to stand still, you watched the man type away on his keyboard as he tried to locate your data. Behind him, the people pointed at the monitors and gave him instructions, but you were sure he was working as hard as possible. But... would it be enough?

“Will you… send help?”

You couldn’t help but ask. Even knowing that the answer could be ‘no’, knowing that humans weren’t always able or willing to save just one person, you wanted to know. Listening to how the people around the man still trying to pinpoint your location grew quieter, you felt the tears back in your eyes, fearing that it wouldn’t be ‘yes’.

But against your expectations, the man suddenly perked up, looking surprised yet hopeful at the display before him before everyone erupted into cheers!

“We got your location!” he screamed through the masses of voices behind you, and you stared at him, lost in your own emotions. “We’re coming! Hold out! Try to hide as best as you can, and we’ll stay in contact through here! We are not letting you down, and the robot is still capable of assisting us!”

“Thank you,” you whimpered, losing every bit of restraint, tears streaming from your eyes as you sniffed. It still would take months. Months that you weren’t sure how to survive. But they’d come for you. They’d rescue you. You’d not have to be stuck here for all eternity. The hope and relief were too much to take, almost unreal, when suddenly, you heard the man’s voice again, calling out for you.

“Hey! Watch out, behind you–!”

Suddenly, the robot you had held onto so tightly was snatched from you, easily torn out of your grip. You fell forward from the pull, seeing the purple mass shimmer in the dim lights as it engulfed the machine that held all of your hope in it. “No!” you screamed panicky, your body’s reactions too slow as you threw yourself forward, trying to get it back from the slime.

All that was returned to you was the sound of machine parts cracking under pressure before you had to watch the robot split into two, metal easily bent and ripped apart. Part of you underestimated the slime to be able to do something like that, making it seem all the more unrealistic that this was happening right then. Right when you finally established a hopeful connection home. It felt as if, in the blue light, this nightmarish scenario was yet but another dream of yours, and you never woke up inside the slime. Yet another fabricated scenario of your mind, trying to deal with what was happening. Or perhaps, this was the afterlife that you didn’t know you had long entered.

Spitting out some parts, they crumbled to the floor, the black, cracked monitor being one of them. The rest of the robot kept cracking inside the mass as if the slime was chewing on it. “No…” you repeated yourself, but this time in a weak whimper. “How… could you? Why did you…”

Turning around to its main corpus, you were confronted with a new, yet, familiar face, the face of the man you just spoke to on Earth staring back. But other than the human you had talked to, this one was transparent, showing you the exit of the hole and the light of the lumps inside of it, shimmering purple just like the slime. “What…” you whispered, speechless and overcome with confusion. There were all the same features, from the rolled-up sleeves on the shirt he wore to the form of the human’s eyebrows. Everything was a perfect copy.

Behind you, the sound of the destroyed machine falling to the ground shook you to the core, forcing you to shut your eyes closed tightly for a moment before you slowly opened them again in hopes the nightmare was finally over. Maybe it was finally your turn to succumb to the slime, but you only watched as the new body shape closed in on you, mere inches from pressing against yours. There were no feet, just the mass that had carried you here spreading out on the ground before it formed into the image of this one human. It helped you not to forget this wasn’t a human, no matter how similar they looked.

The slime began pooling around your legs again, and though you knew what it was like to be swallowed, this time, you couldn’t succumb to it. Not after it shattered even the last of your hope by destroying the robot. Crawling backwards, the slime followed every inch that you moved away. It - he? - had formed two strong arms, reaching out towards you, cupping your face as you couldn’t get away fast enough from him.

His thumbs caressed your cheeks, wiping away the tears that had left streaks on your skin gently; with much more care than you expected from this creature. The slime’s body grew warmer the longer he touched you. It felt gross that you could clearly make out the shift in temperature in him, his body slowly surrounding you as you were running out of space to back up into. Would the slime devour you this time? Did it just wait for a chance to torture you more by taking on the likeliness of a human? As bizarre as this was, you could only close your eyes, not wanting to be subjected to this kind of cruelty if you were to die.

But instead of being absorbed into its mass again, you felt the clone’s arms hook under yours, lifting you up from the ground as if you had the weight of a mere doll. Hooking one arm around your hips, he pressed you up against his chest, holding you safely in the air, yet, unrelenting even when you squirmed. Even though you restrained yourself from moving or acting too rashly, you squinted your eyes open, still seeing the world as it was. Nothing was contorted, you weren’t engulfed by slime. He merely held you. Rocking a little as his free hand rubbed down your back. It almost made you feel bad that your first reaction had been to fear death again, considering how gently he was treating you, comforting you.

However, you didn’t forget the reason you needed to be comforted. And that reason was this very creature playing the role of a traitor in disguise.

“How could you,” you mumbled, pressing your palms into his shoulders. Confused, the slime gave you a bit of space, as you seemed to imply. Somehow, you weren’t afraid anymore, though it may have come from the fact that everything seemed so meaningless now. Without the robot, they’d never find you, and you had serious doubts about being able to survive on this planet on your own. Even if the slime decided to turn on you after what you two had been through, it wouldn’t matter.

“After all you did to me, how could you destroy the one thing that would get me home?!” you yelled into his replicated face, a part of you hoping it could really understand you. His expression seemed to dim as you ended your sentence, the tears rolling back down your cheeks from frustration.

The slime had amazing strength, able to press you back into his chest, despite you using your arms to keep the distance. You two wrangled, and it became clearer and clearer that he wasn’t amused either, the slime being perfectly able to copy emotions in his face, despite not having seen that many. But it had been able to sneak behind you and steal the robot from you as well. So you had no ground to stand on with your assumptions of his abilities.

“I just want to leave! Let me go!” you sobbed, pressing your arm horizontally against his body as the last resort you had. There simply wasn’t enough strength you could muster to actively fight the slime, and to your horror, you began to feel something creep up your legs that you didn’t expect. Pausing your futile, hopeless crying, you looked down at yourself and over your shoulder, realizing the slime’s lower body had begun to form long feelers, extending themselves and wrapping around your limps. You even felt the colder mass slip under your clothes, disgust rising through your body.

Your right shoe dropped to the floor as the tentacle like appendage slipped inside your sock and around your foot, pulling off the fabric. It pressed itself between your tight pants and your body, sliding up your leg with no hesitation, and you fumbled, trying to reach down to stop it.

More and more of these creepy appendages split from the slime’s body and wrapped around yours as you lost the fight against the slime’s arms. Pressed against his soft yet tangible body, his hands also began to wander. Your body was lifted by the tentacles instead, allowing him all the freedom to roam and explore you, raising goosebumps on your skin as his fingers slipped under your shirt. The mix of cold and warm slime sent shivers down your spine, and you gasped, feeling a sudden surge of emotions inside of you.

Before you knew it, you were tipped back, but the human-looking part of the slime always moved with you, his body pressing against yours as it bent you in the air. “What’s going on?!” you whimpered, frightened by the things you were feeling, the strange sensations, as you couldn’t make out if they were ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

But the slime wouldn’t answer, a human form not giving him the ability to speak. Instead, he brushed his lips over yours, giving you just one more chance to breathe before he pressed them on top of yours, and you realized what he was doing. Your eyes widened, and your heart began hammering inside your chest. Yet, the unfamiliar taste of anything you ever had inside your mouth was the only thing you could concentrate on.

Feeling like a fool, you realized all on your own that this couldn’t be a good thing despite your body betraying you as the slime’s hand slid further below.

[foragingincanadamb]

Pigweed

Find:Pigweed is generally found in gardens, cultivated or abandoned fields.

Description:The stem of the pigweed is what makes this plant so distinctive. Stems are erect, and can grow anywhere from 10 cm - 2 m high, but usually 50 - 90 cm, simple or branched, lower part thick and smooth, upper part usually rough with dense short hair, greenish to slightly reddish but usually red near the roots.The leaves are alternate on the stem, long-stalked, and range from dull green to shiny or reddish green. The leaf blade is oval to diamond-shaped, but is usually broader at the base. The margins of the leaves are smooth. The tips of the leaves are pointed or sometimes slightly notched.

Edible parts and uses:Every part of the plant can be eaten, but the young leaves and growing tips on older plants are the tastiest and most tender.

Precautions: no real precautions.

Plantain

Find:lawns, driveways, and along roads, sidewalks and railroad tracks.

Description:Plantain leaves are easy to recognize by the five or so palmate veins that run parallel to the midrib.They grow from a basal rosette and can be up to a foot long if they don’t get mowed.

Edible parts and uses:The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten. The seeds are also edible.It’s also a common component in healing salve.

Precautions:no real precautions.

Prairie Turnip

Find:sun; dry prairie, often rocky soil.

Description:Leaves are palmately compound in groups of 5 on a stalk up to 6 inches long. Leaflets are oval elliptic, 1 to 2 inches long, 1/3 to ¾ inch wide, narrowing at the base, rounded, blunt or pointed at the tip, upper surface nearly smooth, undersides covered in flattened hairs. Plant is stout, stems and leaves are erect with multiple branches. Stems are densely hairy.Short, cylindrical, densely hairy spike of ½-inch pea-shaped flowers. Flowers are light blue to purple turning creamy with age; the upper petal (standard) is round with darker veins; the lateral wings below it are somewhat lighter in color, inflated over a small keel underneath. The calyx tube and floral bracts are covered in long silvery hairs.

Precautions:consuming the plant may trigger a photosentive reaction in some people, due to the presence of furanocoumarins.

Purple dead nettle

Find:tends to grow on roadsides and waste places.

Description:The purple deadnettle leaves are considered dead, and there are no stinging hairs. It is a member of the mint family, which is distinguished by the purple deadnettle’s four-sided square stem. The purple deadnettle is closely related to the henbit, which is often referred to as the henbit deadnettle. The green henbit leaves are kidney shaped and are attached directly to the stem, whereas the purple deadnettle has a triangular shape, and the stalk is attached to the stem’s leaf blade.

Edible parts and uses:Only the leaves are edible. In the spring, the young leaf shoots are harvestable and can commonly used within salads. Some people also use it within smoothies. The leaves are also useful as a good tea, which helps treat chills and promote kidney discharge and perspiration.

Precautions:no real precautions.

Queen Anne's Lace

Find:found in fields, meadows, waste areas, roadsides and disturbed habitats. They are very hardy and thrive in a dry environment.

Description:The Queen Anne's lace flower resembles lace, and oftentimes the flower has a solitary purple dot in the centre. In addition the root smells like carrots!

Edible parts and uses:Homemade birth control, Using first year Queen Anne’s lace plants are recommended. Roots are long, pale, woody, and are finger-thin and are used in soups, stews and in making tea. First year leaves can be chopped and tossed into a salad. Flower clusters can be ‘french-fried’ or fresh flowers can be tossed into a salad. The aromatic seed is used as a flavoring in stews and soups.

Precautions: no real precautions.

Red clover

Find:are all over campus, in fields, in thickets, roadsides, and could grow in another random location.

Description:The Red Clover's most defining characteristics are the purple-red flower and the v-shaped stripe of white across the green leaves. The flower has a rounded head. The flowers bloom generally from April through September, but I spotted flowers still in bloom at the end of October 

Edible parts and uses:Clovers in general are healthy to eat in any way, basically: in salad, as a cooked green, ground to flour, or blended with another tea. Clover is high in protein! The most common things to eat on the Clover are the flowerheads and the leaves, but are easier to eat if soaked for about an hour or boiled.

Precautions:no real precautions.

White clover

Find:are all over campus, in fields, in thickets, roadsides, and could grow in another random location.

Description:borne on long, smooth petioles. Leaflets are oblong to wedge-shaped and are serrated around the margin. Usually variegated with a white or red "watermark." Stems are smooth grow horizontally near the soil. The round head has white to pink flowers.

Edible parts and uses:Both the greens and flowers are edible. Dry the flowers for tea, or add to vodka and fruit jellies for a clover infusion. Fresh flowers and greens can be added to salads, cocktails, and to canapes and desserts for garnish.

Precautions:no real precautions.

Alsike clover

Find:are all over campus, in fields, in thickets, roadsides, and could grow in another random location.

Description:is a perennial plant with a semi-erect, sparsely branched, grooved stem, hairy in its upper regions. The leaves are alternate and stalked with small stipules. The leaves have three blunt-tipped ovate, unspotted leaflets with finely toothed margins.

Edible parts and uses:Both the greens and flowers are edible. Dry the flowers for tea, or add to vodka and fruit jellies for a clover infusion. Fresh flowers and greens can be added to salads, cocktails, and to canapes and desserts for garnish.

Precautions:no real precautions

Self Heal

Find:moist to mesic black soil prairies, alongside rivers and lakes, meadows, thickets, forest openings, woodland borders, pastures, and abandoned fields. Self-Heal that is common in lawns.

Description:Typically this plant grows 10 to 50 cm in height although some native varieties may grow taller. It is a fibrous-rooted plant from a root crown or short rhizome that thrives in loamy soil with high organic content.

Edible parts and uses:This wild plant is both edible and medicinal. The leaves and flowers contain high levels of antioxidants (which prevent cancer and heart disease). It has been used for centuries as medicine. Raw self-heal leaves are edible, suitable as a pot herb and have a subtle bitter taste. Although they taste better cooked, a lot of the nutrients are lost (as they are in vegetables as well) in this process. Toss leaves onto a salad, in a soup or stew or once you have mashed potatoes, add them to this. A cold water infusion of freshly chopped (or dried) leaves makes a nourishing drink. (Boil water to make tea as well.) This is an edible plant that can help many health ailments.

Precautions:no real precautions.

Sheep Sorrel

Find:sun; dry disturbed soils; fields, roadsides, waste areas, railroads

Description:An herbaceous perennial in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) growing to a height of 4 to 12 inches. The stems are upright, branched at top, slender and reddish in color. The arrow-shaped leaves are simple, 1-3 inches long, and smooth with a pair of horizontal lobes at base.

Edible parts and uses:Sheep's Sorrel contains oxalic acid so it has a slightly sour or tangy flavor. It can be eaten raw or cooked, the tangy taste is a great addition to salads, but it also tastes great eaten alone.The roots can also be used in soups or salads.

Precautions:Due to the high oxalic acid content, large doses of sheep sorrel can be toxic. Oxalic acid can cause kidney stones , irritate the kidneys, or worsen an existing kidney disorder. For these reasons, those with kidney problems or who are prone to kidney ailments should not use sheep sorrel.

[inthecityofgoodabode]

March 2022: Spring Flowers

Butterweed. It has a fragrance similar to chrysanthemum but milder, less abrasive & with a light sweetness:

The sixth rough earth snake of the Spring: 

Hardware cloth added & ready for seed starters: 

[disaster-daydreams]

Calls You Home

The sky was still dark as two figures raced over the packed earth, feet grazing the ground just long enough to push them further, faster, barreling forwards as frostbitten clover and henbit flowers crunch with every pounding step. It felt like flight, the biting wind whipping their coats behind them like wings fervently beating against the frigid current, ears and noses and lips and hands all numb and red and breath coalescing in the early spring air. The night was bright, despite the sun having long since vanished over the western horizon and not yet daring to break the sparkling night’s hold on this world. Stars blinked in and out of sight like warning beacons between the near-barren branches overhead, cautioning the lovers breaking the heavy night silence, breathy laughter and sharp breaths snatched by the wind too quickly for their euphoria to be known by any who might have been listening for them.

Music plays from somewhere in the area, just loud enough to be heard through the rushing wind at their ears. One of the pair slows, the violin cutting through the woods and into their soul, catching them in a moonbeam and wrapping itself around their delicate crystalline heart. Their eyes shone with pure ecstasy for this moment under starlight, as if this wasn’t a run they took at the same time, every morning, for as long as the two could remember. 

Icy crunching interrupted their reverie, their approaching lover draped in shadow and warmth, the perfect antithesis to the flawlessly dangerous edges the moonbeam cut over their skin. The silhouette reaches out and tugs at its lover’s sleeve, drawing them into the shade of a willow tree. Their bodies crumple into each other, chests pressed together so closely that they seemed to melt into one figure in the dark night, the music playing seeming muffled beneath their heartbeats pounding in their ears like a drumbeat, breaths merging together as their foreheads met. 

If you're lost out where the lights are blinding Caught in all, the stars are hiding That's when something wild calls you home, home

A smile graces the shadow-being’s face, the pale sliver lighting up their counterpart’s face further than any moonlight ever could. A moment, stolen from the night, from any responsibilities, from whoever was playing music at this unholy hour of the night. In that respect then, this moment is stolen even from the heavens, angels and gods alike obstructed from the moment the two lovers shared. These wild skies are theirs for the time being, stilling under their fingertips. Even the wind seems to wait with bated breath, unwilling to even begin an attempt to separate the silhouettes huddling together on the frozen grass. The crystalline form, seeming to shine even in shadow, lets their hands fall to the shadow’s hips, delicately tracing patterns along their sides to his thighs. The shadow’s chest heaves, hands cupping their lover’s face shaking with adrenaline.

If you face the fear that keeps you frozen Chase the sky into the ocean That's when something wild calls you home, home  

The moment seems to still, warmth seeping through their bones as their lips meet, barely brushing together at first but soon deepening into something of devotion and unity, as fragile and brief as it is meaningful. Hands slip away from each other, a goodbye painful enough to drive them closer together and intertwine their fingers, knotting them together unequivocally. The two drew close enough that doubt couldn’t interfere, and suddenly they both knew that they could live a million lives and would always be drawn inexplicably to each other, that they would choose each other every day for an eternity if given the chance. 

These brief few seconds will vanish from the world in a few days. Flowers will bloom, winds will change, trees will grow, and the lovers will experience countless more moments like this. But for the brief moment before the being of jagged glass pulls the living shadow up to continue their sprint through the forest, this moment is all there is, the world shrinking to hands on each other, lips brushing against the others, cold ground biting into legs, moonlight bathing the world around them. And, for all the lovers care, this is true- or at least, this is all that matters to them. Everything else can wait until morning- and as they command it, so it is. 

✩*⢄⢁✧ ‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ ✧⡈⡠*✩

A/N This was written as vaguely as possible for a reason. The song is “Something Wild” by Lindsey Stirling. I do recommend it to anyone, and if you like violin music then basically anything by Lindsey Stirling may be interesting. In the tags will be characters I can see this with, but don’t confine yourself to those characters. 

-Mod August, who is not doing what he should be doing right now

[marieeame]

Purple Deadnettle, Lamium purpureum

Element: Fire Magical Associations: Angels, Goals, Happiness, Healing, Overcoming obstacles, Spirituality, Strength AKA: Red Nettle, Red Dead-nettle, Red Henbit, Red Archangel, Purple Archangel, Dumb Nettle, Deaf Nettle, Blind Nettle

Common plant that’s native to Europe and Asia, and can now be found in parts of North America too.

Magickal Properties: The powers and energies of this potent spell herb is for banishing, expelling and cleansing negative, stinging harmful energies from the surroundings and self. It will boost and add to the energies of any herbs associated with and used for: confidence, courage, calmness, peace, strength, graceful persistence, clear thinking and emotional balance.

PURPLE DEAD-NETTLE IS A WILD, EDIBLE GREEN

Purple dead nettle is one of the safer plants to forage. It has no dangerous lookalikes, but it is still advisable to have on hand a foraging field guide to help you identify.

Purple dead-nettle is in the mint family. 

Properties: Edible and medicinal, the leaves and upper plants are cooked as pot herbs or added to salads. The plant is very nutritious, high in iron, vitamins and fiber. The whole plant is medicinal, used as an astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative, styptic and tonic. Lab tests show that Lamium purpureum seed oil possess high antioxidant activities, and might be used as a future food-additive. In the past, this plant has been used to treat digestive issues, gout and joint pain. A decoction of the plant is particularly useful for checking any kind of hemorrhage, the fresh bruised leaves can be applied to external cuts and wounds. The dried herb, made into a tea and sweetened with honey, promotes perspiration and acts on the kidneys. A tea made from the fresh plant is an excellent laxative and tonic.

[auckie]

Your vegetable opinions are shit. Red lettuce is superior to both iceberg and spinach. The only thing spinach has on lettuce is that it can be sautéed, and iceberg has nothing on some nice, fresh red lettuce. I can wrap literally anything with it. Other veggies? Sure. Tuna? No problem? U want an Asian flavor? Larb!!!! Red lettuce is the pinnacle of salad leaf veggies. Best vegetable is the cucumber. Best fruit pretending 2 b a vegetable is tomatoes. Best stone fruit? Avocados. Or peaches

red lettuce is better than iceberg, equal to spinach, but all three pale in comparison to beet greens-- but you need a good MIX, throw in some arugula and dandy greens and AND LEMON BALM HOW COULD I FORGET LEMONBALM. henbit. clover. necessary. ok but in the context of versatility? spinach. cook it, mix it, use it in sandwhich, yes even tuna yes with raw tuna steak. you got me with larb gai. cucumber is a good vegetable but Chantenay carrots take the cake for me. or grean beens or asparagus...no wait def carrots. correct about tomato but dont forget tomatillos, and avos ill concede to that