Pineapple Weed: The 97th Flower of Spring & Summer!

Isn't that funny that I have three odd flowers in a row for my flower count?! This one is also strange because it looks like a daisy with the petals pulled off! :D If you're standing up and looking down at these flowers, they are really boring and kind of ugly looking, but with a closer look you get a big surprise! This little flower is totally cool and very pretty too! They grow all over our graveled driveway and on the sides of our road, basically where there's open space and it's dry. I never thought they were special until I took pictures of them, but now I love them! :)

Pineapple Weed gets its name for the smell it emits when crushed and some Native Americans used crushed flowers for perfume! This plant is native to Asia and the Pacific Northwest but is an invasive weed in other parts of the U.S. and Europe. It's edible and also can be used as a tea , which will have a pineapple essence to it. Pineapple Weed is related to Chamomile and is sometimes used as a sedative and, oddly enough, as a treatment for intestinal worms! (Ewww!) It's also used as an insect repellant. (Note: some people who are sensitive to the Aster family or ragweed may be allergic to this plant.)

If you'd like to know more about this Pineapple Weed, I found a very nice page about its uses here: Pineapple Weed: A Natural Food Source. Wiki also has a page here: Wiki: Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea)