Creature Spotlight: Encounter With a Thirsty Slug
Kai Goldstein | April 22, 2025
While cleaning out a patch of Japanese knotweed from the Warren Wilson garden, I realized that each internode on each shoot had a tablespoon or so of water that could be accessed with a satisfying pop of the stem. Knowing the edibility of knotweed at this stage, I wanted to try the “juice” that was so nicely sealed inside. This pulpy, slightly sour and refreshingly cool beverage took me by surprise. I could get multiple satisfying gulps from each plant, and there were more than enough plants for a glass full. A few other people I was working with agreed that the flavor was more than just interesting; it was delicious! I could best describe it as rhubarb-infused spring water with a hint of the earth. A few minutes and several sips later, I realized we weren’t the only ones to enjoy this invasive concoction. A smooth land slug was drinking from one of the freshly snapped stalks. It had climbed its way up to the top of this tower of elixir to guzzle from its freshly exposed juices. Quite cute did it look while doing so. I wonder if knotweed juice is a delicacy often served to slugs, or if this lucky hermaphrodite has a story to tell for the rest of its short life. Either way, I learned that one small sip for man is one giant feast for a slug willing to take some risks.
