A roadside weed that can be made into brooms, is delicious in dumplings, a foe of gout, and pretty when grown in flower pots

There is a roadside weed known as broom grass. Generally, by late autumn, its branches and leaves are cut off and tied firmly with rope to be used as a broom for sweeping courtyards or roads. It has strong vitality, and wherever its seeds fall, they take root and sprout, easily growing into a large patch.

Broom grass is only a common name; its scientific name is Kochia scoparia (summer cypress). In fact, its tender branches and leaves are edible and can be used in cold dishes or as dumpling filling, and they taste very fresh and delicious. It also has the effects of clearing heat and improving eyesight, and promoting urination, and can effectively treat diseases caused by excess uric acid, such as uric acid gout, and also helps treat night blindness.

Picking broom grass in the wild is best. Right now is the most tender time to pick broom grass, that is, in August and September, when the dishes made from it taste the most fresh and delicious. After October, the texture may be somewhat older.

In the past, broom grass was regarded only as a wild grass or weed, but in fact its appearance is quite lovely. It is green all over, and when it opens it looks like fuzzy little green balls. Planted in a courtyard, or potted on a balcony, it is no worse than other potted plants and is very pleasing to the eye.

This species has extremely strong vitality. In autumn, take the seeds and scatter them here and there; they will survive as soon as they touch soil, and the next year they will be growing everywhere.

Growing broom grass in a flower pot is also very easy to care for. It tolerates poor soil, has strong adaptability, and is not demanding about soil. Just choose a sandy soil that drains well and is loose and breathable for planting. Usually, as long as the potting soil does not become waterlogged and is kept slightly moist, and it gets plenty of sun, it can grow very lushly.