The roadside weed used as a broom is a gout nemesis, and it looks lovely and is nutritious when grown in a flower pot

There is a roadside weed called broom grass. Usually by late autumn, its branches and leaves are cut off, tied together with rope and used as a broom to sweep 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 just a common name; its scientific name is Kochia scoparia (burning bush). In fact, its tender branches and leaves are edible and can be served as a cold salad or made into dumpling filling, with a very fresh and delicious taste. 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. It is best to pick broom grass in the wild. Now is the most tender time to pick broom grass, which is in August and September. Dishes made from broom grass picked at this time taste the most delicious. After October, the texture of picked broom grass may be somewhat old.

In the past, broom grass was only regarded as a kind of wild grass or weed. In fact, its appearance is still quite lovely, green all over, and when it opens it looks like one fuzzy green little ball after another. 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 everywhere; they can survive as soon as they touch soil, and the next year they will grow everywhere.

Growing broom grass in a flower pot is also very easy to care for. It tolerates poor soil and has strong adaptability, with low requirements for soil. As long as you choose a sandy soil that drains well and is loose and breathable for planting, and usually do not let water accumulate in the pot soil, keeping it slightly moist is enough. With a bit more sun, it can grow very lushly.