[MPWG] Ailanthus and Invasives

[Stiki Niki]

Dear All
I could only skim through responses but wanted to throw in that I do love 
the weeds, but coming from an ecological standpoint to me they indicate a 
native system out of balance.  They come in to try to heal things and hold 
the earth in place.  Sometimes I think some of the really noxious ones come 
in to keep us out of an area...The weeds may be native or naturalized, but 
instead of just wiping them out(I am a weedy European as well) I think they 
need to be watched and the health of the entire system worked on.  
GradenTomatoes and such are not the same.  They rarely become naturalized to 
the point of invasiveness, they are pretty limited in range if they get 
outside of a garden, at least in the bioregions I have been to.  As a 
wildcrafter, I am constantly using my background in Envirnoomental Resource 
Management.  When I see plantain and cleavers everywhere, they are the first 
medicinals I collect to make way for the native plants.  It is part of 
stewarding the land.

I was taught how to use Ailanthus and do so in my practice(though rarely at 
this point).  I use it to treat diarrhea--parastic in nature.  Moore taught 
it as something of an analog to Castela emoryi....

I also use Chinaberry, a very invasive tree here in Austin.  Melia azederach 
is a brother to Neem.  I have been informed that it is actually being grown 
as a crop in Mexico to use as an insect repellent.  With that news I tried 
the berries as a strong tea on my wonderful garden tomatoes(that stayed in 
my garden) when they got aphids.  I found it highly effective against them.

I just ate some weedy invasive Chickweed Pesto yesterday, I highly value 
such weeds especially in pesto.
BTW the wild mustards I have seen really like to grow around dirty 
areas-sewage etc-- so beware

I will be soon adding a section onto my website that will show the different 
MODERN day uses of our weedy medicinals here in Central Texas

Niki Telkes
www.wildspirit.info