By the wayside
Of all plants, we like useful plants best. We can eat them, feed them to our animals or use them to make our gardens more beautiful. Plants that are not useful for these purposes are often called “weeds.” They grow where we don’t want them—in gardens, fields or along paths. They are often removed: we hoe them out or spray them with poison to kill them.
But there are no useless or wrong plants in nature. Many so-called “weeds” provide important food for insects, birds and other animals. The roots of these plants loosen the soil, protect it from erosion and help new plant communities take root.
Some plants grow in places where others cannot thrive. In this way, they contribute to the diversity of nature. You can get to know some of these plants growing along the path here.
