Pineapple Weed Tea – Wildcrafting Wild Chamomile
June 03, 2024 | Source: The Crunchy Ginger | by
I am fascinated and drawn to the idea of backyard wildcrafting. I can’t think of anything more frugal than foraging edible and medicinal “weeds” from your own yard. The trouble is, I don’t have a yard! While our apartment has a shared green space, it’s sprayed regularly by landscapers with who knows what, as well as by the many dogs who live here.
But this year, we rented a community garden plot for the first time. A few weeks ago, I saw what I assumed was a rogue chamomile sprout popping up among my carrot greens. But as it grew and began to flower, I realized this was an entirely different plant! After a bit of research, I discovered this opportunistic garden resident is a common weed in this part of the country known as pineapple weed or wild chamomile.
What is Pineapple Weed and How to Find It
Matricaria discoidea closely resembles the more familiar varieties of chamomile with the little white flowers. But pineapple weed is characterized by it’s petalless or “rayless” yellow-green flower heads. It has feathery forked leaves (also edible) and grows low to the ground. It is easily identifiable by its distinctive sweet pineapple-chamomile aroma when crushed!