They were named after lions because their lion-toothed leaves healed so many ailments, great and small: baldness, dandruff, toothache, sores, fevers, rotting gums, weakness, lethargy and depression. In eras when vitamin pills were unknown, vitamin deficiencies killed millions.
Data from the U. Department of Agriculture reveal how dandelions probably helped alleviate many ailments: They have more vitamin A than spinach, more vitamin C than tomatoes, and are a powerhouse of iron, calcium and potassium. Dandelions are good for your lawn. Their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants.
Dandelions are masters of survival. They can take root in places that seem little short of miraculous, and then are impossible to get rid of, as homeowners have found. But why is this plant so hard to kill? The sunny yellow flowers go from bud to seed in days.
Their lifespan is long, too — an individual plant can live for years, so the dandelion lurking in a corner of the playground might be older than the children running past it. The roots sink in deeper over the years, and can go down 15 feet. Like the Hydra who sprouted two new heads for every one that was cut off, the roots clone when divided; a one-inch bit of dandelion root can grow a whole new dandelion.
Dandelion leaves can shove their way though gravel and cement, and thrive in barren habitats. Dandelion was introduced from Europe where it has been used as an herb and medicinal plant since the time of the Roman Empire.
The leaves and flowers are often used to make salads, beer, and wine. Mature leaves can be dried and used to make a mild tea. Roots can be used to make stronger tea, or dried and used for various medicinal purposes, including as a mild diuretic. While dandelion does have its benefits, in this publication dandelion will be discussed as an undesirable weed in residential landscapes with options on how to manage it.
Dandelion is a perennial plant that grows best in moist areas in full sun. Once established however, it can survive some shade and dry conditions. Dandelion grows year-round in California except in the coldest intermountain areas, where it is dormant during the winter. It produces a strong taproot most commonly found in the top 6 to 18 inches of the soil. Buds grow from the uppermost area of the root, producing a crown that can regenerate "new" plants even when the plant is cut off at or below the soil surface.
Sections of the root as short as 1 inch are also capable of generating new plants. There are no true stems; the leaves are instead clustered in a rosette at the base of the plant. Margins of the leaves are deeply serrated, forming the typical "lion's tooth" outline , from which the common name is derived.
Flowering stalks are 6 to 24 inches in length and terminate in a compound inflorescence or head that contains to ray flowers. Each ray flower has a strap-shaped yellow petal with five notches at the tip.
Dandelion flowers are not normally pollinated, but develop asexually. Flowering occurs nearly year-round in the temperate climatic regions of California. At the apex of the achene there is a slender stalk about two to four times the length of the achene that terminates in a parachute-like structure pappus. With the pappus facing out, these achenes form the characteristic puffball, allowing the seed to be transported via wind currents for miles.
Seed germination occurs at or very near the soil surface. Light increases germination. The seedling stage can last 8 to 15 weeks, depending on temperature and growing conditions. Seedling growth is slower in cold weather. Flowering begins early and continues throughout the life of the plant.
This ubiquitous yellow flower seems to spring up overnight to create a cheerful floral display followed by billowy seed heads floating on long stalks above the ground. Many people do not like dandelions when they threaten to take over a lawn.
Taxaracum officinale , a common plant of grassland and cultivated ground, is native to Eurasia but has naturalized in all parts of the Northern Hemisphere thru USDA Zone 3. But this plant is actually cultivated in some places, and used for both food and herbal remedies. Dandelion is a good colonizer that is excellent at dispersing its prolific seeds. The leaves are shallowly to deeply lobed. Dandelion is a short-lived perennial that will grow just about anywhere, regardless of soil conditions, but rich soil will improve its growth.
They withstand frost and freezes and tolerate crowding. The lance shaped leaves grow in a rosette, emerging early in the spring from the crown.
Individual leaves may be entire or lobed, with the toothed lobes anywhere from shallowly to deeply incised. Different lobe patterns may occur on the same plant. The rosette of leaves can be a food plant for the caterpillars of some butterfly and moth species. Dandelion grows in a rosette.
A flush of bright yellow flowers are produced very early in the spring. Even though its flowers are more conspicuous early in the season, it will bloom almost throughout the year. Each solitary inflorescence consists of numerous ray and disc flowers borne together in a daisy-like flower on the end of a smooth, hollow stalk. The stem contains milky latex sap. The length of the flower stalk varies considerably depending on the conditions.
The fat green buds L open C to expose all the numerous ray and disc flowers R. The flowers are utilized by bees and other pollinators and can be an important nectar source early in the season when few other flowers are blooming. After a couple of days in flower they close and the seeds develop inside the closed head. The seeds, technically a fruit called a "cypselae" are produced on the flower stalk with each seed representing one of the florets in the flower head.
Each has a pappus, a set of feathery bristles that act as a sail or parachute ensuring distribution of the seed by the wind. What kid doesn't know that?
As the seeds mature the flower stalk elongates greatly, raising the fluffy seed head up into the breeze. When a seed germinates it produces a rosette of tiny leaves close to the ground surface and concentrates on growing a deep tap root. By the time you see a dandelion plant it is well established, which is why it seems you can never get rid of all the Dandelions in your lawn. There's always a new generation in the waiting. Individual plants can grow for years and reach a considerable size, up to 50 cm across.
Just check out the ones behind your neighbour's garage! Did you know you can make wine out of Dandelions? There are lots of recipes for making Dandelion wine on-line. Or that the young leaves go great in salads? In fact, the family of plants that the Dandelion belongs to also includes lettuce! If you let a lettuce plant go to flower in your garden you'll see what I mean.
And the roots of dandelions can serve as a coffee substitute when baked and ground. Hint: if you are a real coffee aficionado, don't try this. Hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or in this case if you have a yard full of Dandelions eat'em and drink'em. Apparently, you can make green and yellow dyes from the flowers, too. The root of Dandelion is said to be diuretic makes you pee. Some of its other common names suggest this quality: Pee-a-bed and Wet-a-bed.
It is also reported to be a mild laxative, and the milky latex has been used as mosquito repellent. As always, use caution when using any plant for medicinal purposes.
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