What's up, Forsyth?

    Plantain: Nature's Band-Aid Written by Anne Ambs, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group For this week’s adventure, I had to go no further than my own back yard, much to my chagrin, to find plantain weeds nestled in among the other herbaceous plants and bushes. This plant, which originated in Eurasia, has followed human migration patterns throughout history and is now found in nearly every state in the US. The genus Plantago , commonly referred to as plantain, includes over 200 species and is widely distributed around the world. Most are herbaceous perennials with similar growth patterns. Herbaceous plants have flexible green stems with few to no woody parts. Low to the ground, the leaves grow in a rosette pattern with a spikelike flowering structure towering above it. This plant’s leaves are low enough to the ground to evade lawn mower blades and are tough enough to bounce back to life, even if stepped on. Image 1: English Plantain.  Photo credi...

    Pigweed: Invasive Weed or Delicacy? Written by Anne Ambs, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group As summer rapidly approaches, plants in the pigweed family begin to make an appearance across the United States. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), the organization that oversees the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) pollen monitoring program, includes pigweed, goosefoot, lamb's quarters, amaranth, saltbush, and Russian thistle in a single group for pollen counting purposes. The pollen grains from these plants are so similar that it is not possible to distinguish them.   Although pigweed is generally considered a nuisance weed, growing along the roadside and frequently fighting for space in lovingly cultivated gardens, it has long been utilized as a source of food, with nearly all parts of the pigweed being edible. Native American cultures grew pigweed as a staple crop, specifically Palmer amaranth ( Amaranth palmeri ...