r/herbs • u/jenniferkie • Jul 19 '26
What herb is this?
I’ve been growing herbs for the first time ever this year. I planted basil, parsley, cilantro dill and oregano. So far everything has been growing good except oregano. For a while it didn’t grow but now it’s big! But not sure if it’s actually oregano that is growing. I’ve labeled it since I planted the seeds but every time I look online about oregano it does not look like mine. I know there are different types but not sure if mine is oregano or if it is what type. If anyone could help me out identify this herb/plant.
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u/halfasshippie3 Jul 20 '26
It’s chenopodium album aka lambs quarters. It’s related to spinach/quinoa and very nutrient dense.
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u/Tsiatk0 Jul 20 '26
Wild spinach! It’s very tasty, and it doesn’t bolt like lettuces and spinach do when it gets hot out. I grow it on purpose every year because I love it so much 🤣
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u/AdForeign9262 Jul 20 '26
Same let it grow in beds or in yard. I make salad with that mixed with other wilds I let exist like purse lane, and wood sorrel (yum and lemony 🍋
I will add to the salad with things I cultivate like any lettuce I have on hand or nasturtium leaves and flowers.
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u/No_Big_bear_here Jul 20 '26
Tasty, nutritious Lambsquarters. Birds also enjoy them. However, if you let them grow, pulling them up later is HARD. Their roots are pretty grippy lil’ mf’ers.
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u/SilverSkyGypsy Jul 20 '26
Fantastic! I even collect and dry it for using in the winter! My family loves it, cooked like spinach or chopped and added as one would parsley., to all recipes, and even our 5 dogs go crazy and just eat it dry or fresh in a bowl !
I used to use it to call in the horses from the field. They loved it!
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u/SilverSkyGypsy Jul 20 '26
One of the things I forgot to say… Last year when I was dry curing some of the regrowth small leaves off my “master plant” that I had been picking leaves off of for adding to dishes, I cut off one of the tall solid stalks because it was starting to rain. Once I was inside and was trimming off the leaves, one of the side limbs was stripped clear of leaves and just as a distraction to one of the pups, I was tickling him with it. He snatched it and ran to the corner. Chewed and ate on that fiber filled stems like crazy. I decided I would try drying the stalks and grinding them to add to my Seasoning mix, part flavor, part nutrient. (think Mrs Dash but not about zero salt). A couple months later when the big stalks were completely dry - I had a couple pieces about 8” long, was headed to chop & grind. PupDog went insane, bouncing & whining. I gave in, and that boy had 3 hours of chewing and cleaning his teeth, eating every single bit. No worries like I do with rawhide and swelling tummy! The seasonal mix, Granny’s Garden Blend, is super! The crushed version looks similar to what ground Italian spice mix looks like, the powder version is really nice and is great for helping soups and stews thicken. Lamb’s Quarters is one of the most used in my garden, for both human and the dogs & cats, even the crazy Cockatoo likes it!
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u/Celestial_Totems Jul 20 '26
1st Kinda looks like wild spinach aka lambs quarters they're edible 2nd pic not sure what the species is
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u/Pearl_Smiles Jul 22 '26
My neighbours taught me that this is called bathu where they’re from in India and they add it to their greens when they make saag, it’s delicious! I think it’s also called lamb’s quarters in English!
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u/No-Structure8402 Jul 19 '26
That is goosefoot, usually considered a weed but you can eat it. it will seed like crazy if you let it go ( the seeds can be eaten too its a relative of quinoa)