Tuesday was the last day of school for our district.  So late right?  I know.  Well, while I was waiting at the bus stop to get the kids I snacked on a few strawberries and I was hucking the tops to the side.  One landed on the storm grate and I walked over to push the top down.  I looked down and saw this.

Don’t get it?

Take a closer look

Funny  story about this plant.

I had a customer come into the store a few months ago specifically asking for this plant.  It is actually called Labrador Violet or Viola labradorica.  It is quite a sweet plant and the customer was absolutely thrilled that we were able to get it into the shop.  She promptly came in, made her purchase and walked away ecstatic.  A few weeks later she came back in asking for more.  We had sold out.  We said we’d order more.  Once that flat came in we called her again and she was back in straight away.  She picked up a few additional containers and again, went away happy.

As soon as she left another customer was browsing the perennial area and looked at me and said, “isn’t that a weed?”

I suppose a weed is in the eye of the beholder.  I consider Oregano to be a weed.  My husband thinks sunflowers are a weed.  Hell, my potatoes are taking over 2 of my raised beds.

There are plants that truly are weeds.  I can’t think of a good use for pepper cress (shot weed), but dandelions are a great green (when you’re really hungry).  Even the south’s most hated weed, kudzu vine, has purposes.  Blackberries are a weed, but one that produces tasty tasty fruit.

In my view weeds are simply opportunistic plants.  In the case of the woodland violet, my guess is that one of my neighbors up the street has it growing in their garden and the seeds washed down the street.  If you ask me, it adds a little color to the storm grate and gave me a little botanical surprise.

What garden plant do you think is a weed?  What opportunistic plant do you love?