Dandelion Madness

Ever since my bungled attempt at creating red dye for my cascarones by using dandelion root, I've been noticing more and more dandelions blooming in my yard, as though they're mocking my lack of ability in the dye department.  That's fine.  I'll get them for it.

Guess who's next on my identification list?

Taraxacum officinale

Scientific Name: Taraxacum officinale

Common Name: Dandelion

Leaf:  These are spatulate shaped, but they can also be lance or oblong in shape.  Sharp teeth along edges

Flower:  Yellow, with several thin petals radiating out

Growth Habit:  Everywhere!  Sun or shade, nutrient poor to nutrient rich soil, dry to boggy.  Yep.  Everywhere.

Height:  Up to twelve inches high, with leaves that can get as huge as four inches at their widest point.


I'm one of the few people that will actually admit to liking dandelions... even when they mock my futile attempts at dye making.  The dandelion, after all, is a constant pest that invades pretty much everything.  They grow in the spaces around and in your garden, they grow in the cracks of pavement.  I even saw one growing on a roof, once! 

That was pretty awesome.  Maybe not for the home owner, though.

But once you get beyond this aspect, they're actually pretty nifty. 

First of all, the entire plant from root to flower to leaf tip is edible.  You can eat them cooked or raw.  There are recipes galore for dandelions, from pickled dandelion blossoms, to salads, to dandelion fried rice!  Seriously.  You don't have to look hard at all to find dandelion recipes.  Indeed, the link in this paragraph is a pretty good place to start, and it's not even close to a full list.  Wow!

So why are there so many dandelion recipes? 

Probably because they're so filled with important nutrients that they make my violets look worthless... and that's hard to do!  One cup of dandelion leaves gives you over 100% of your daily value of vitamin A, as well as over 500% of your daily vitamin K requirements.  It's also decently high in vitamin C, and carries the important B complex group.  Furthermore, about 40% of the carbs in dandelion greens are fiber.

Dandelion has even been used for medical purposes.  Indeed, in botanical use, the latin word officinale means 'used in medicine.'  Teas are used for kidney and liver cleansing, the milk is used to remove warts and pimples, as well as to soothe burns.  Indeed, in 1956 Dr. Remy Chauvin (in a report to the French Academy of Medicine) found that the dandelion's pollen had antibacterial effects.  Wow! 

Pretty awesome for a weed, right?

Truly, the dandelion is a magnificent plant.  We may call it a weed in America, but not all countries agree with us.  In Japan, the dandelion is admired for its strength and endurance.  Popular love songs use the dandelion as a symbol.  Many claim it as their favorite flower.

Beauty, as the saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder.  Do you see beauty here, or just another weed?