Frostweed, Verbesina virginica, is an herb growing along the Bosque River with a long history and many names: Iceplant, white crownbeard, richweed, squaw weed, Indian tobacco, and tickweed. Only cold morning hikers in temperatures below freezing will recognize why the plant is called Iceplant and frostweed, below freezing temperatures cause the winter stems to emit fantastic shapes of what appear to be styrofoam ice crystals oozing from the plant, sometimes forming ribbons that fold back on themselves, like the candy. Richweed refers to the depth and loamy quality of the soil indicated by this plant, while the name tickweed indicates that this herb is a gathering place for ticks. The Spanish name, lengua de vaca, is descriptive of the shape and texture of the leaves. Indigenous People used the plant as an abortifacient, hence the name squaw weed. One would imagine that small societies living on the edge would have been anxious to have as many children as possible, but that was not the case for captive women. I’m thinking of Comanche captives who wanted to avoid the harsh role that motherhood placed on a young woman against her will. The death rate was so high among Comanches and the birth rate was so low, that many wives were kidnapped and forced to become wives and mothers. Except they didn’t seem to have many children. When a botanist asked a Native man about the use of squaw weed, the response was that he didn’t know – it was an herb that only women used and understood.