Taraxacum... just a weed
“What would the world be, once bereft,
of wet and wildness? Let them be left.
O let them be left; wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.”
- Gerard Manley Hopkins, 1844-1889
I have always found certain words of human language and how they are used peculiar. I have often wondered… “Do dolphins, whales, or bonobo’s use such terms?” One in particular … “weed.” I remember when I visited Germany there were these beautiful flowers along most of the roadsides – I never did get to identify them. I wouldn’t hesitate photographing a field of them if I had the chance. But when I asked a colleague what they were, the reply was “Oh they are just weeds, they grow everywhere.” I am sure foreign visitors to a chemical free US suburban neighborhood might ask the same of the yellow flowers scattered everywhere.
We seem to have a term for anything that is in a place that annoys us or that we don’t have a need for – weed, pest, rodent, wasteland. They are used as if they are scientific classifications, yet they have no such notoriety. Yet it is amazing how willingly such terms are commonly adopted references to specific species across languages, countries, continents. I can’t help but wonder – what if we just left things be as Mr. Hopkins so eloquently wrote.
Of course in many cases we cannot, the natural order of things often doesn’t anticipate the wild card of mankind and “progress.” We frequently need to fix what we have broken, but often don’t do such a good job of that either. This photograph captured my desire to just let things be and appreciate something for what it is.
Hey, Mark -
After years of watching my wife and her friends gardening, I’ve come to define weeds as the beautiful plants that are so hardy you have to expend great energy eradicating them to make way for the difficult-to-keep-alive (and often less beautiful) plants you have purchased…
:^D
- Jack
Amen. Well said.
Well written Mark and accompanied by nice photo. Always when someone in our house starts to speak about mowing the grass I start to say “oh, but it’s not so tall, yet, and it blooms so beautifully”
“Let them be” I would like to say. But if I spoke it louder and resolutely I am afraid they could be afraid of my mental health 
hehehe you’d love our garden then, full of “flowers” ahem. I too like to take pictures of the weeds, we have a little wild area of the garden where things flourish as they will.
Lovely image and words. We let about half of our “lawn” grow tall and it is the most aesthetically part. I love those tall grasses, and, or course, Dandelions.
What is it about the dandelion that makes it so hated by suburbanites, but so loved by photographers?! This is one of the nicer compositions. Right now many of the farm pastures are in full dandelion bloom. From a distance they don’t look any different than the field in bloom with canola.
I too must be one of these “naturalist,” judging by my yard and it’s many blooms. I’ve a grudging admiration for “weeds” as they make a hearty life where other lesser plants die.
In the photo, Mark, very nice use of what I’m sure was a extremely thin DOF.
f5.6 on a 200 mm macro doesn’t give you much!
A wonderful image along with wise words. I cringe when the tractor comes out here because it’s time to adhere to fire protection regulations. So many beautiful weeds that must be cut down in their prime. We are fortunate to have a good-sized buffer zone around our immediate living area that we can leave completely to Mother Nature. I think she does a lovely job of managing that potion of our garden. Woe unto anyone who who suggests that we should improve on what we have.
Thank you all for sharing your weedy experiences!
amazing photo very inspiring,
Beautiful photo and I agree about term “let it be” or “just be”, weeds are actually beautiful too, I think it’s just human perception that gives the word weeds a bad name.
If it weren’t for “weeds,” we’d have no flowers at all in my yard. Nothing will grow here unless it was here before us. As a result, we have a plethora of colorful flowers blooming at all different times of year (not to mention all of the scrumptious blackberries!) Let’s hear it for “weeds!”
Hello Mark.
Wow.
This is the first time I`ve seen Taraxacum (Løvetann in norwegian; løve meaning lion, and tann meaning tooth) being spoken about by an american photographer!
You are so right, Mark; and if you would ask a norwegian about this plant, they would surely answer: Oh, this is just a weed called Løvetann
Amongst children, it`s popular to pick one up and blow on them so that the very light seeds fly away. The seeds are actually quite fun to shoot with a macro lens.
Great post, Mark, and a fascinating photograph!
Best Wishes
Seung Kye
Thanks for the visit SK – hope you are doing well, and thank you for sharing the Norwegian equivalent reference! I think the past time you refer to in blowing the seeds is quite universal.
Another wonderful image Mark. The word “weed” I thought referred to any plant growing someplace where it’s not wanted or intended. Often these seem to be invasive, non-native species. The delicacy, tones and radiating lines in your image really strike me.
Thank you for the further comments everyone. I must confess that I am not completely innocent in letting all plants just be. I frequently have poison ivy creeping into my yard given the woods in my area is completely dominated by it. The same goes for Stinging Nettle. Both would surely take control of everything in my yard if just let be and a constant reminder of even my own incompatibilities with the nature around me. I don’t care so much about the visuals, but the physical hazards just have to be dealt with sometimes.
What…Heck, I’m so disillusioned now.
Have a good one!
Well, technically I did write that I “wonder” what it would be like.
Fine closeup, nice limited DOF – looks rather like salsify/goatsbeard.
If I had my way, I’d have a meadow instead of grass. I’ve compromised by having a lawn with a nice admixture of wildflowers – violets, blue-eyed grass, buttercups, Deptford pinks.
I have a recent post about a “weed,” too, and the effect our use of language has on us.
I am in sync with your post and I love the photo.
I’m still very distraught over the oil spill. What a crime against nature this is. The opposite of “let it be…”