Pineapple Weed, Wild Chamomile, Disc Mayweed, Matricaria discoidea
Introduction
Pineapple weed is a common “weed” found wherever soil is disturbed: driveways, trails, roadsides and sidewalk cracks. It is short, usually not growing taller than 20 cm. It is also a flowering plant, which means it belongs to the group of plants that produce flowers and then develop fruits. It is called pineapple weed because of the conical yellow flower that appears at the top of the plant. It also has an obvious sweet scent when crushed, that some say smells like pineapple. It is native to western North America, but has expanded its range to include eastern North America.
Appearance and Habitat
Pineapple weed has feathery, green leaves, it likes full sun and can grow in almost any soil conditions. This plant flowers in mid-summer. Each plant has a number of yellow, what appear to be “petal-less” flowers on it. Pineapple weed belongs to the aster family; all the flowers in this family (sunflowers are a good example) are actually composed of hundreds of tiny flowers. Each “petal” in a sunflower is actually a complete “ray” flower. Each unit in the center is a complete “disc” flower, which is why each disc flower is able to produce a sunflower seed. The pineapple weed flowering structure contains only disc flowers.
Relationships
Not too much is known about the ecological interactions of this plant as it is generally dismissed as “just a weed”. The seeds of the pineapple weed are tiny and light and can cling to paws, fur, shoes etc., which means it is easily transported to new places. But like almost all plants, its roots have a special relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus, which provides it with hard-to-get nutrients. The fungus gets plant sugars in return.
Human Use
Pineapple weed is very closely related to the medicinal plant chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla, a very popular tea. It can be picked and used the same way as chamomile (flowers and leaves). The plant can be picked and dried for future use, or used fresh and steeped for five to ten minutes in boiling water. The tea can calm nerves, help with sleep and can make headaches and stomach aches feel better. NOTE: If people want to consume this plant, they should take care to pick from a place that isn’t contaminated by wastes from cars or other chemicals.
Pineapple weed can also be used as an insect repellent because of its strong scent.
Scientific Name
Pineapple weed is known scientifically as Matricaria discoidea.
~Monica Schuegraf
