poverty-weed
noun
1 English regional ( Isle of Wight ), field cow wheat, Melampyrum arvense, formerly a serious weed in parts of the Isle of Wight (now historical ).
2 United States regional any of various plants that grow as weeds on poor soil, chiefly of the family Asteraceae, especially the marsh elder, Iva axillaris.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in James Halliwell (1820–1889), antiquary and literary scholar.