Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion is indigenous to Greece and has been naturalized all over the Northern Hemisphere, including North America and Europe.^2,6 The plant spontaneously grows in fields, along roadsides and in gardens.^2,3,5 It is commonly considered a weed in grasslands and cultivated ground, and it is denoted as invasive in Kentucky, the Northeast, Nebraska, the Great Plains, the West and Canada.^2,3,5 Since It belongs to the largest plant family of Asteraceae or the Daisy family, there are many Dandelion look-alikes.¹¹ However, false Dandelions generally have hairy leaves, branched flower stems or a different root structure or shape.¹¹

The plant’s first recorded use in herbalism was in the 900s and 1000s A.D. by Arabian physicians.¹¹ Writings from 13th century Wales later alluded to Dandelion.¹¹

The common name of Dandelion is said to be a derivative of the French “dent de lion” (tooth of a lion).^8,10,11 The name originated from the peculiar indentations of the plant’s toothed leaves, which were said to resemble a lion’s jaw including the teeth.^8,10,11 Others say the comparison might be of the yellow flowers to the golden teeth or the whiteness of the root to that of lion’s teeth.¹¹ During the Middle Ages, another common name was Priest’s Crown.¹¹ When the wind dispersed all the seeds, revealing the bare speckled receptacle, it was similar to a priest’s shaved head.¹¹

Flowers appear on the plant generally from April to November.² They are nyctinastic, meaning they open in the morning and close at night.¹¹ Dandelion flowers also close when it rains on their petals, to protect their blooms.¹¹ Among the plants that contribute to bees’ honeymaking process, Dandelion plays an important role due to the multitude of disc flowers.¹¹ The characteristic Aster family flower head makes a bounty of nectar for thirsty pollinators, including bees and flies.¹¹ Dandelion flowers generally begin blossoming in early spring just after the fruit tree blooms are finishing.¹¹ They flower through late autumn, keeping beekeepers happy, as they do not have to then supplement the diet of their colonies.¹¹

The plant is often harvested when flowering in both spring and fall.² The tender, young leaves are often eaten in salads and blanched or boiled as greens.^2,11 In late 1700s Germany, Coffee beans were imported and expensive, so many people substituted a tea made from the roasted, dried autumn-harvested roots of Dandelion.⁷ The flavor is bitter and similar to that of Coffee.⁷ In 1685, a swarm of locusts destroyed the entire food harvest in Minorca, off the coast of Spain.¹⁰ The population on the island reportedly survived on Dandelions.¹⁰

The dried leaves of the plant were also commonly used in herbal drinks and beers, while the flowers were used to make Dandelion wine.¹¹ Dandelions are also used to feed animals such as pigs, goats, rabbits and small birds, who prefer the seeds.¹¹

All parts of the plant are used as food, beverage, spice, folklore and in herbalism, by many Native American tribes from the Aleut to Tewa.⁴ The Hesquiat tribe makes toy whistles from the hollow stems.⁴

Children everywhere have played games with Dandelions by blowing their breath on the seed heads to scatter the seeds in the wind. A game in olden times was made of how many breaths it would take to disperse all the seeds, which would indicate the time of day.¹¹

While Dandelion’s widespread use as a food goes far back in history, its cultivation is considered relatively modern.¹⁰ In the US in 1836, the plants were cultivated from wild plant seeds for a Boston farmers market.¹⁰ In England, the plant was noted in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, which dates back to 1841.¹⁰ The wild plant was written as a “spring potherb” in France in 1880.¹⁰ While it was cultivated there as early as 1868, the seeds were not available for sale until 1883.¹⁰

1. McGuffin M, Kartesz J. American Herbal Products Association’s Herbs of Commerce, 2nd ed. Silver Springs, MD: Publication of the American Herbal Products Association; 2000.
2. Felter HW, Lloyd JR. King’s American Dispensatory, 18th ed, 3rd revision. Cincinnati, OH: The Ohio Valley Company; 1898.
3. USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database: Taraxacum officinale (The PLANTS Database, 2 March 2020). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
4. Native American Ethnobotany DB. 2003-2018. Native American Ethnobotany Database: Taraxacum officinale (NAEB, 2 March 2020). Dearborn, MI 48198 USA.
5. Plants for a Future. 1996-2012. Plants for a Future Database: Taraxacum officinale (Plants For A Future, 2 March 2020). Devon EX7 9LX England.
6. World Health Organization. WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants, Vol. 3: Radix cum Herba Taraxaci. World Health Organization. 2001. Geneva, Switzerland.
7. Woodville W. Medical Botany. London, England: Royal College of Physicians Press; 1890.
8. Waggaman S. Botanic Materia Medica. Washington, D. C.: W.H. Lowdermilk & Co; 1895.
9. Thorne Research Inc. Thorne Monograph: Taraxacum officinale. Alternative Medicine Review, Vol. 4, No. 2. 1999.
10. Sturtevant E., Hedrick U. P. Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World. Ann Arbor, MI & Geneva, NY: University of Michigan Press in conjunction with the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station; 1919.
11. Grieve M. A Modern Herbal, Vol. 1, 2nd ed. New York, NY: Dover Publications; 1982.
12. Van Wyk B-E, Wink M. Medicinal Plants of the World, 5th ed. Portland, OR & London, England: Timber Press; 2012.