Learning botany by walking the streets and alleyways of Chicago

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Some Plants you might find wandering the streets and alleyways of Chicago (or other eastern US urban environment):

• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Plantain (Plantago spp.)
• Common Mallow (Malva neglecta)
• Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
• Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus)
• Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
• Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
• Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea)
• Violet (Viola spp.)
• Yellow Sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis)
• Burdock (Arctium spp.)
• Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Going out to identify and name the plant parts of the plants closest to us is one of the easiest ways to learn botany and also begin to connect more deeply with the land we grow from.

While you might not want to make a meal with the plants you find in the alley, it's still a great place to connect.

You might consider creating a page in your notebook for each plant you encounter, writing down your own descriptions of plants, drawing pictures of them, and comparing your notes and drawings with botanical descriptions you find online. Note botanical terms used to describe these plants and make flash cards out of them. Take pictures of them. Nibble on an itty-bitty piece of them to get a sense of their flavor and energetics (as long as you are certain it is in fact the plant you think it is–and that you are aware that in the city there may be pesticides sprayed on plants and/or dog pee). Feel free to do whatever other weird stuff you need to do to relate to them!

You might also consider elevating your explorations here...