Dandelions Are Anything But A Weed

“If you find yourself worrying, go outside, take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say, ‘Thank you.’ If you can’t find a tree, a dandelion will do.”

Do your remember them?

‘A single stem of a dandelion in its post-flowering state with the downy covering of its head intact. The term is applied when the flower is used, or is thought of as suitable for use, in a children’s pastime by which the number of puffs needed to blow the filamentous achenes from a dandelion is supposed to tell the time.’

We’d sit on the grass at recess or lunch time, blowing those seed heads, not for one moment considering that we were doing Nature’s job, blowing them with the wind, dispersing them to places we would never be privy to.

But dandelions are something else…

Because they enjoy a much longer flowering season compared to other flowering plants, (from spring to autumn) they are the go-to flower for bees, post hibernation.

‘This simple yellow flower, according to the Buzz About Bees, provides much needed nourishing nectar and pollen for the hungry bees.

‘But dandelions are much more popular with pollinators than with people. If you are like most people who have lawns or gardens, these perennial flowers are thought of as annoying weeds that need to be pulled up by the roots and destroyed.’

But that was not always so

‘The botanical name for dandelion is Taxacum officinale, and it is a member of the daisy family. In its name we get a glimpse of this mighty plant’s importance. “Officinale” essentially means used in medicine: plants bearing the designation “officinale” could be found in ancient pharmacies.

Just exactly when did we lose touch with all things natural, especially the health benefits of garden plants?

No need to answer. It’s a rhetorical question. It’s when big corporations stepped in and showed us all how to have a garden that would be the envy of the neighbourhood.

A garden with no weeds.

With the ever-so-perfect lawn, bordered by perfectly-selected shrubs.

A lawn that was reliant on feeding and grooming, and being rid of those pesky ‘weeds’ especially the dandelions that show up in spring and hang around until autumn.

And shrubs beautifully colour co-ordinated, just to add the wow factor.

You just HAVE to get rid of the nuisance dandelion.

It’s big business

Well, it’s certainly become big business!

Corporations rely on your ‘bought’ addiction to beauty and perfection. It’s why they spend so much on advertising their wares, to convince you to get rid of weeds, the long-lasting dandelion in particular.

And we buy the spin.

Friend or foe?

What most of us are not aware of, is that dandelions are a gardener’s best friend.

• If your soil is in poor condition, compacted, or hard, the dandelion will be the one flower to give you a helping hand, loosening the soil through its wide-spreading root system.
• Lawn not so healthy? Believe it or not, dandelions are also natural fertilizers for your lawn.
• Soil acidity not quite right? You could add lime but dandelions work on improving the acidity of your soil. They also add calcium.

Best of all, they don’t charge for the service!

You’ve been chosen!

The fact is, the humble dandelion chooses your garden, the reason being that your lawn is probably crying out for help. If you allow them to grow in your garden, chances are they might do their job, then disappear. How about that!

Dandelions are also, masters of survival, wherever in the world they are.

‘Before the invention of lawns, people praised the golden blossoms and lion-toothed leaves as a bounty of food, medicine and magic. Gardeners often weeded out the grass to make room for the dandelions. But somewhere in the twentieth century, humans decided that the dandelion was a weed. Nowadays, they’re also the most unpopular plant in the neighborhood.’

And yet, against all odds, the humble dandelions thrive.

That should give us all pause!

But here’s something to think about

Despite everything we throw at this plant, all the weedkiller, the digging out, the mowing, the dog shit and peeing, and the cursing about, this is one triumphant plant.

Maybe, just maybe it’s trying to tell us something.

Maybe it’s more accommodating than we deserve…so you don’t admire me in the garden, but what if I could make you more healthy?

The fact is that:

• the greens of the dandelion surpass that of spinach and kale
• they reduce inflammation
• they manage blood pressure and
• they control blood sugar in Type2 diabetes

What about a colourful salad?

‘Dandelion blossoms add a bright floral flavor to salads. You can also sprinkle the petals over grilled meats and vegetables as a garnish. To remove the blossoms from the flower heads, just hold the green calyx in your fingers and pinch the yellow blossoms off with a small twist or snap.

 ‘Dandelion greens are also edible. The best time to harvest the leaves is when they are still young and tender, before the plant begins to flower. Tender leaves taste great when chopped fresh into salad. As the leaves grow older they become increasingly bitter. Both young and older leaves can also be sauteed in garlic and oil for extra flavor.’

Foraging is growing in popularity

It’s little wonder, given the cost of green vegetables here in Canberra at least.

“A growing interest in weed foraging has seen “edible weeds tours” spring up in many major Australian cities.

“Susan Hutchinson, who takes urban foraging walks in Canberra, said learning the art of identifying edible weeds was rewarding on many levels.

“One of my favourite things about foraging is, it’s like having a new set of glasses, with a different kind of filter on them,” she said.

“You see food in all different places that you wouldn’t have otherwise anticipated … you would have walked straight by and not known.”

The thing is, discovering plants in the bush, dandelions in particular, you can be assured that none of them has been treated with herbicides.

There’s a lot to love about that.

Coming free, with a little bit of exercise and sunshine thrown in, EVERYTHING!

The takeaway from all of this must surely be, to embrace dandelions in your garden.

See them as the asset they are.

Afford them time to prove that they are in fact, a soil healer that costs you nothing.

Be an example to your neighbour.

And then there’s the bees…our planet needs bees. WE need bees.

Are you convinced?