If we pull it off, it will be a great caper.

Seems easy enough. Pick, pickle, marinade and munch. I have all of the ingredients, vinegar, salt, garlic, a few spices and the star of the show: ox eye daisy buds.

A benefit of No Mow May — the month that we are encouraged to let our lawns and yards grow for birds and pollinators — has brought lazy, daisy days to my yard. Yes, those blooming white flower that are everywhere can be made into capers if you grab the buds before they open.

American humorist and Island treasure Art Buchwald provided this assessment and instruction, “I don’t know whether this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I assure you it’s the only time you’ve got. You can either sit on your expletive deleted or pick a daisy.” I will take his advice and grab a bunch of buds.

Ox eye daisies serve up more than just a piquant condiment. The flowers can be dried and used as herbal tea. Leaves, preferably young ones, can be eaten raw or cooked. They are said to taste lemony or peppery, though I cannot yet confirm or deny its leaf’s flavor.

Be wary as some sensitive individuals can experience contact skin irritation, even as other health benefits are ascribed to this plant. An alias, bruisewort, contradicts and explains that the crushing and application of leaves to the skin can reduce trauma and encourage healing of bruises.

This plant wasn’t always here for the taking. Ox eye daisy is native to Europe and was brought to this country in the 1800s. Having quickly naturalized, it has been called the most common weedy wildflower in North America.

This is not surprising when you understand its fecundity. Ox eye daisy is a super spreader. A single plant can produce up to 26,000 seeds and those seeds can be long-lasting. In one study, 82% of the seeds were viable after six years and, incredibly, even after almost 40 years, one percent of the seeds could still produce plants. Who knew seeds could reach middle age? Adding to their reproductive potential are the rhizomes or underground stems that also spread and provide for the growth and expansion of these duplicating daisies.

Even though these daisies are normally found in Europe, they are not always welcome residents. Ox eye daisies are not palatable for livestock, so farmers don’t want this plant in their fields because it reduces the quality of the pasture. Scots called it “gools” and punished the farmer who had the most gools with an extra tax. Even deer aren’t interested in its consumption, thus the plentiful profusion Island-wide.

This so-called eye of the day closes during the night, but holds you in its benevolent sight by day. Perhaps that is why Suzanne Collins, author of the Hunger Games series, knew it to be a friend explaining, “Here it’s safe, here it’s warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm.”

Look to these flowers for safety, as a source of strength, adornment (think daisy chain) or as a garnish, and remember them for all their worth. Long after they have finished blooming (and are no longer fresh as a daisy), I will hold them in my heart (and my pantry) — the results of my wild weekend caper.

Suzan Bellincampi is islands director for Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown and the Nantucket Wildlife Sanctuaries. She is also the author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.