There is a six-foot-tall, spiky, cone-shaped weed growing on the side of the highway right now that few people passing by would recognize. Most people pass it without giving it a second glance. This strange-looking weed was actually integral to the clothing of early Americans, and it serves as a prime example of nature's ability to reclaim what man takes from it. This plant is called teasel, and according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, it was brought to America from Europe in the 1700s, where it was used for its value to the textile industry. Today, this plant is an unwelcome sight to many people residing in forty-three of the lower forty-eight states.
A plant that used to earn its keep
