The Dandelion: The Good, the Bad, and the Not So Ugly
- jpgiovannettone
- May 13
- 2 min read
The name dandelion comes from the French name "dent de lion," which means lion's tooth, due to either the resemblance of the tightly-packed yellow florets on the flower head or the shape of the leaves to sharp teeth. The common dandelion is native to Eurasia and spread quickly as Europeans migrated throughout the globe. Once Europeans arrived in North America, it is thought that they brought the dandelion with them in order to remind them of their old home as well as to take advantage of its medicinal properties. Migrants may have thought twice about doing this if they knew the scale to which this plant would later spread. One characteristic of dandelions that enables their spread is the ability to reproduce and create viable seeds without the need for cross-fertilization; in fact, most seed production occurs in this manner. So if someone asks you how many dandelions it would take to cover a lawn, the answer is one!
As dandelions do represent an invasive species, we should try to minimize the number in our yard. But instead of merely using pesticides or other weed killers to get rid of them, I would suggest picking and using them for any of a number of uses, most of which are mentioned in the following video.
As was mentioned in the video, all parts of the dandelion plant are edible and vitamin-rich and can be used in a number of recipes. The main benefit is the fact that dandelions contain high amounts of antioxidants and are rich in Vitamins A and C as well as calcium and other minerals. They are also known to help with issues related to high blood pressure and cholesterol and are anti-inflammatory, in addition to a host of other benefits. But then the question is how to take advantage of their health benefits outside of eating a dandelion plant straight out of the ground. Potential uses for the major parts of the plant discussed in the video are repeated below:
Leaves: The leaves can be picked, cleaned and eaten directly as a main ingredient in salads and stir-fries. But before you go ahead and pick a bunch of leaves, make sure you are not using any weed-killers as the leaves will readily absorb these chemicals.
Flower Head: The flower heads can be popped off and used in floral ice teas, wine, or vinegar. Refer to this YouTube video for easy recipes. A preliminary step you should follow before making anything from dandelion flower heads is to soak them in a vinegar/water solution (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water) in order to remove any bugs, particularly ants.
Root: Use a hand spade or screwdriver to dig up the root. Roots can be used to make tea and can serve as a great coffee substitute: see this video. The most important step here is to make sure you rinse the root thoroughly at least two or three times.
Helpful Hint
Try one recipe using at least one part of the dandelion plant. Please share any comments about what you did and how the recipe came out.
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