Weeds Are a Witch's Best Friend

I love weeds. But I also pull weeds out of my garden. I love native plants, too,  but I get annoyed by most native plant enthusiast groups because they hate on all introduced species.

I recognize that some invasive weeds are a serious problem: they can crowd out native plant species and destroy biodiversity. Many introduced weeds have limited value as food for insects and wild animals. But there are good things about weeds too, and as a witch? I find them to be incredible friends and allies.

So the approach I take to weeds as a witch, a native plant lover, a gardener, and a friend of the land, is one that seeks balance.

In my own yard, I focus on adding native plant species, reducing invasive plant populations, and increasing biodiversity. But I don’t take a scorched earth approach to weed removal. After all, soil suffers when too much of it is left bare. If I don’t have something specific I want to plant in an area, I let the weeds grow there, chopping or mowing them down periodically but letting their roots remain in place to prevent erosion and, in some cases, draw up nutrients from deep underground, making them more available to other plants. I try to cut them down before they set seeds, to slow their spread around the neighborhood. But I wait to pull up weeds by the roots until I’m ready to plant in an area. Then I remove the weeds, plant something new, and mulch heavily to help slow the return of new weeds. With this method, I’m growing soil as much as I’m growing plants. It’s not a perfect approach, and doesn’t yield a manicured, magazine-ready yard. But it’s what the land wants from me, so it’s what I do.

While I focus on increasing the percentage of native plants in my yard, I rarely take anything from them. Instead, I leave the native plants as food for insects, birds, and small mammals. For magick and medicine, I harvest from the weeds and some introduced species instead. And I emphasize the use of invasive plants in my magickal practice. Personally I think weeds are a witch’s best friend. For example:

They’re plentiful. And while this is sometime a problem for the ecosystem or the gardener, it’s a boon for us witches. We can harvest freely from invasive populations without fearing we are taking too much from the land. In fact, often removing invasive plants is a service to our local ecosystem. Of course, it’s still important to ask permission, and leave an appropriate offering in return. It’s also crucial to practice awareness when we harvest a plant for any reason, being careful not to damage more fragile plant friends growing near or among the weeds, or to take so much we leave behind exposed soil. And it’s important to remember that even invasive plant species can create shelter for small creatures and nesting birds, so think of our animal friends when you go gathering even the most invasive of plants.

They’re everywhere. Even in barren places, weeds find a way. For the witch who has no garden and can’t afford to buy expensive spell ingredients, weeds are a free and easily acquired source of magickal supplies. 

They’re friendly. Obviously there are exceptions to this point, but many weeds are incredibly generous and willing to work with humans. They do, after all, follow us around, and our disruptive activities create opportunities for them, so they’re usually happy to return the favor. More importantly, they’re often open to forming close relationships with humans. My approach to witchcraft is one of forming relationships with all the spirits around me, rather than treating non-human beings as commodities. The ease of forming bonds with our prolific plant friends makes them perfect allies in a magickal practice.

They’re resilient. Most weeds are virtually indestructible. If I want my magick to be potent and powerful, it makes sense to work with plant friends who are tough as nails, vibrant, and adaptable. Their amazing strength tends to make weeds magickally and energetically potent.

If you want to make powerful magick with strong ties to the land you live on, I highly recommend finding those weeds who are plentiful and thriving in your neighborhood and getting to know them. I think they might surprise you with how delightful they can be.

All text and images in this post by Michelle Simkins. Please don't reproduce text or images without permission.

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