Herb enthusiasts and plant lovers know that referring to certain plants as “weeds” often feels like an arbitrary degradation of an important and valuable botanical. After all, who gets to decide what is a weed and what isn’t? And why must they be so maligned? Because they are resilient? Bountiful? Uncontrollable? (If so, I would say that we could all stand to take some inspiration from them at times). Our deep misunderstanding of weeds is especially unfortunate because many of them offer us an array of nutritional and medicinal benefits that are, quite literally, rife for the picking. No plant illustrates this dynamic better than the dandelion.
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are in the Asteraceae family and are believed to have evolved in Eurasia as long as 30 million years ago. They thrived in Europe and Asia before finding their way to North America in the mid 1600s. Dandelions are best known for their cheery yellow flowers and iconic fuzzy seed puffs (pappus). Most of us probably have memories of blowing on these puffs and making wishes or just delighting in watching the seeds take flight. One of the most impressive things about dandelions is that they can grow almost anywhere and are found on every continent except Antarctica. You may have seen them bursting up through concrete, alongside railroad tracks, and infiltrating even the most manicured lawns. With several lookalikes, dandelions are most easily identified by their hairless, jagged leaves that grow in a basal rosette (single point) formation and their hollow, single-flowered stalks which emit a white sap when plucked. The common name originates from the French, dent de lion, which means lion’s tooth due toothlike appearance of the leaf edge.
The leaves and roots are the most commonly used portions of the plant; however, every part of the dandelion is usable/edible. Since dandelions have been used by humans for much of recorded history, use is widely varied. The root of the dandelion can be harvested year-round and is known as a powerful ally in the support and protection of the liver, as well as a digestive aid as it helps in the release of bile from the gallbladder. The root may also be roasted to make a tasty addition to teas, coffee alternatives, and other beverages.
Dandelion leaves can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. Leaves are sweetest and most supple in spring and tend to get more bitter as the season progresses. Dandelion leaves boast a barrage of nutrients including manganese, calcium, iron, potassium and also contain vitamins A, C, and K. Both leaves and roots have also gained notoriety as prebiotics which can help to support the microbiome of the gut. Dandelions are also a powerful diuretic, which earned them the English Folk name of “piss-a-bed”. The lovely yellow flowers are used less frequently but contain lutein which is known to aid in eye health. Dandelions are known to have been incorporated into the diet and healthcare practices of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, practitioners of East Asian Medicine, early Europeans, and Indigenous Peoples of North America.
The gifts that dandelions can bestow upon the human populace are extensive, but there is another population of creatures to which dandelions are crucial. Bees and other pollinators rely on this early spring botanical as one the of the first food sources available after a long winter. Needless to say, the extensive removal and use of herbicides on weeds like dandelions is extremely harmful to our pollinator friends (and to us all). You can help combat this by letting your own dandelions flourish and by educating your friends, families, and neighbors on the uses and benefits of this amazing “weed” and the negative impacts of herbicides.
Common preparations of dandelion include tinctures, bitters, teas, hot chocolate, decoctions, salads, pesto, dips, baked goods, fritters, jelly, wine, and other beverages. The list goes on and on. Dandelion is one of the easiest herbs to incorporate into your diet, especially come springtime when the greens first emerge.
*Since the spraying of weeds is such a pervasive practice, we recommend being very choosey about where you harvest your dandelions.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pro Tips:
You may also enjoy:
Dandelion Flower Fritter Recipe
Spring Pesto Recipes for Health & Vitality
Wildcrafted Dandelion Tea & Cake Recipes
Topics: Recipes, Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Maia was born and raised in Eugene Oregon. An avid nature and animal lover, when she is not snapping blog photos for Mountain Rose; you can find her romping around in the woods with her pup, having impromptu dance parties in her living room, experimenting in the kitchen, and looking for new sci-fi and fantasy stories to dive into.
Herb enthusiasts and plant lovers know that referring to certain plants as “weeds” often feels like an arbitrary degradation of an important and valuable botanical. After all, who gets to decide what is a weed and what isn’t? And why must they be so maligned? Because they are resilient? Bountiful? Uncontrollable? (If so, I would say that we could all stand to take some inspiration from them at times). Our deep misunderstanding of weeds is especially unfortunate because many of them offer us an array of nutritional and medicinal benefits that are, quite literally, rife for the picking. No plant illustrates this dynamic better than the dandelion.
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are in the Asteraceae family and are believed to have evolved in Eurasia as long as 30 million years ago. They thrived in Europe and Asia before finding their way to North America in the mid 1600s. Dandelions are best known for their cheery yellow flowers and iconic fuzzy seed puffs (pappus). Most of us probably have memories of blowing on these puffs and making wishes or just delighting in watching the seeds take flight. One of the most impressive things about dandelions is that they can grow almost anywhere and are found on every continent except Antarctica. You may have seen them bursting up through concrete, alongside railroad tracks, and infiltrating even the most manicured lawns. With several lookalikes, dandelions are most easily identified by their hairless, jagged leaves that grow in a basal rosette (single point) formation and their hollow, single-flowered stalks which emit a white sap when plucked. The common name originates from the French, dent de lion, which means lion’s tooth due toothlike appearance of the leaf edge.
The leaves and roots are the most commonly used portions of the plant; however, every part of the dandelion is usable/edible. Since dandelions have been used by humans for much of recorded history, use is widely varied. The root of the dandelion can be harvested year-round and is known as a powerful ally in the support and protection of the liver, as well as a digestive aid as it helps in the release of bile from the gallbladder. The root may also be roasted to make a tasty addition to teas, coffee alternatives, and other beverages.
Dandelion leaves can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. Leaves are sweetest and most supple in spring and tend to get more bitter as the season progresses. Dandelion leaves boast a barrage of nutrients including manganese, calcium, iron, potassium and also contain vitamins A, C, and K. Both leaves and roots have also gained notoriety as prebiotics which can help to support the microbiome of the gut. Dandelions are also a powerful diuretic, which earned them the English Folk name of “piss-a-bed”. The lovely yellow flowers are used less frequently but contain lutein which is known to aid in eye health. Dandelions are known to have been incorporated into the diet and healthcare practices of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, practitioners of East Asian Medicine, early Europeans, and Indigenous Peoples of North America.
The gifts that dandelions can bestow upon the human populace are extensive, but there is another population of creatures to which dandelions are crucial. Bees and other pollinators rely on this early spring botanical as one the of the first food sources available after a long winter. Needless to say, the extensive removal and use of herbicides on weeds like dandelions is extremely harmful to our pollinator friends (and to us all). You can help combat this by letting your own dandelions flourish and by educating your friends, families, and neighbors on the uses and benefits of this amazing “weed” and the negative impacts of herbicides.
Common preparations of dandelion include tinctures, bitters, teas, hot chocolate, decoctions, salads, pesto, dips, baked goods, fritters, jelly, wine, and other beverages. The list goes on and on. Dandelion is one of the easiest herbs to incorporate into your diet, especially come springtime when the greens first emerge.
*Since the spraying of weeds is such a pervasive practice, we recommend being very choosey about where you harvest your dandelions.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pro Tips:
You may also enjoy:
Dandelion Flower Fritter Recipe
Spring Pesto Recipes for Health & Vitality
Wildcrafted Dandelion Tea & Cake Recipes
Topics: Recipes, Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Maia was born and raised in Eugene Oregon. An avid nature and animal lover, when she is not snapping blog photos for Mountain Rose; you can find her romping around in the woods with her pup, having impromptu dance parties in her living room, experimenting in the kitchen, and looking for new sci-fi and fantasy stories to dive into.
