Dandelion (Brief Profile)
(Taraxacum officinale Weber)

For more information and links, go to the main dandelion page.

Description

• the dandelion is a common, hardy alien "weed" everyone is familiar with
• it grows 2 to 18 inches high (5 to 45 centimeters)
• it prefers sunlight
• in the spring, the dandelion grows pointed, jagged-edged leaves from a central base
• the leaves are green and have arrowhead-like points and jagged teeth that point backwards
• the roots (usually a single thick taproot) grow very deep and are hard to remove whole or destroy
• in the spring and summer the plant sends up a few pale, milky, slightly shiny, hollow stalks; on the end of each stalk is a green bud with thin, pointed, reflexed bracts under it
• the buds open into bright yellow flowers, usually about the diameter of nickels or quarters, and flattish on top; each flower is made up of many tiny overlapping petals with ragged, squarish ends, and these are smallest in the center of the flower and largest on the edges
• within days the flowers close into loose buds, and the yellow petals clinging to the tips of the buds dry up, turning a dull shade, and fall off
• when the seeds inside the buds are ripe and brown and dry, the buds open into white, downy, round seedheads
• each seedhead is the size of a big gumball and holds many seeds, which have tufts of white fluff on them to carry them on the wind
• when they are all blown away, the bare seedhead is rubbery and white

  Uses

• all parts of the dandelion seem to be edible, including leaves, roots, stems, flowerbuds, and flowers, but they don't taste that good raw; the leaves and stem are very bitter
• the flowers and the youngest spring leaves (gathered before the flowers sprout, especially the blanched bases of the leaves below the soil level) are said to taste palatable in salad
• the older green leaves are extremely bitter but taste better after being cooked in a few changes of water and being removed from their central veins or stems, which are bitterer, tougher, and stringier than the rest
• the young flowerbuds can either be boiled for several minutes and served with butter, or pickled
• the flowers can be dipped in batter and fried to make dandelion fritters, or be made into jelly, wine, ale, or syrup
• the roots can be baked until brown and brittle, then ground and used as a coffee subsitute
• the leaves and flowers of the dandelion are rich in vitamins A and C
• the plant also contains bitter chemicals, fats, gluten, gum, inulin, iron, niacin, potash, proteins, resin, taraxacerin, and vitamins B and E (from Vitamins, Herbs, Minerals, & Supplements : The Complete Guide, by H. Winter Griffith, Md.)
• I have heard that it also contains potassium, calcium, and vitamin D, and that when the plant is used as a diuretic, it depletes the body's potassium less than other diuretics because of the potassium content in the plant itself
• many, many various medicinal uses have been attributed to all the parts of the dandelion
• contact dermatitis has been reported from handling the dandelion, probably due to latex in its leaves and stems
• many common plants look similar to dandelions sometimes, including sow thistle, wild lettuce, and chicory, but they are easy to tell apart and are usually edible as well
• dandelions are anything but in danger of overharvesting, as these alien weeds have survived the wrath of gardeners and lawn owners for years.
• the dandelion, alien to America, was brought here from Europe
• the name comes from the French "dent de lion", which means "tooth of the lion"
• the plant's folknames are said to include not only "lion's tooth" but also "blowball", "cankerwort", "priest's crown", "puffball", "swine snout" (perhaps because pigs love eating the whole plants), and "wild endive"
• in the past, the dandelion has been respected for its usefulness and hardiness, and despised as an non-native plant and an unstoppable weed
• dandelion seedheads are popular among small children, who try to blow all the seeds away; here are several pieces of folk wisdom about blowing dandelion seedheads -- for instance, that if you make a wish and blow all the seeds away, your wish will come true
• today, the homeliness, familiarity, and strength of the dandelion make it symbolic for many people

  For more information and links, go to the main dandelion page.

  The information in these pages is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but I make no guarantees about its accuracy, nor do I take responsibility for any damage or injury caused by use or misuse of this information.

  Much of this information, especially the medicinal details, comes from A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (Peterson Field Guides), from Vitamins, Herbs, Minerals, & Supplements : The Complete Guide, by H. Winter Griffith, Md., and from Wicca Craft, by Gerina Dunwich. Thanks also to Mother Herb and Moonwatcher. Additional information came from page on dandelion, Encyclopedia.com's article on the dandelion, and the dandelion page on the Betterbodz site.