I went for a walk in the neighbour hood surrounding Stride School looking for a particular plant.  This plant has been growing around me my whole life, but I never knew much about it until I went for a walk with Lori Snyder.  Lori is Métis and a herbalist.  She is teaching me about the plants that grow on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories and can help take care of us.

Pineapple Weed is edible (they’re in the same family as chamomile!)  The little flowers smell like pineapples!  (Hint: Rub one between your finger tips and smell your fingers 🙂   The little flower buds can be harvested and put in a sachet to help us fall asleep at night.  There are lots of plants that can help us in our day to day lives, if we know how to invite them.

On my walk I found only one pineapple weed growing in Poplar Park, but I knew where to find more.   There are some growing in the Kindergarten Playground at Stride, but they are in the middle of the space where we run and play.  I decided I would ask the children to help me move them where they will be safe and hopefully bloom and grow even more.

They obliged and we got to work!

These little plants grow in sidewalk cracks in urban areas and like dry soil.  So, we’ll water them a little, make sure they get lots of sunshine and wait until spring for them to grow some more.  The plants will wither into the soil for the winter, and with them, their seeds.  The seeds will sleep until it warms up again and they start to grow into new plants.  In June, we’ll harvest some of the flowers and make sweet smelling sachets that will help us get a good night’s sleep.  Taking care of each other, people and plants alike!

Hych’ka, Pineapple Weeds!

Ms. Jenny

P.S. I left the little one I found just inside the gate of Poplar Park if you want to go on Pineapple Weed hunt?!  Poplar Park is  on 18th Ave. and Leeside St., about a 10 minute walk from Stride (with current construction detours).