Dandelions (Taraxacus officinale) are plentiful and in all fifty states plus Africa, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and India.
Their name “dandelion” is a corruption of the French word “dent de lion” because their coarsely cut leaves resemble a “lion’s tooth.”
Native to Eurasia, they were introduced into America centuries ago for their culinary uses as dandelion wine, salad greens, and when baked and ground, as a coffee substitute. They are high in vitamins A, B, C and D and have more iron and calcium in them than spinach.
My wife detests them, whereas I can tolerate them except when they are in our flower beds. Digging them out with a dandelion digger is insane — any fragments of their tap root left in the soil will sprout another plant.
Each plant has more than 10 stems, each of which produces a single flower head bearing 52 to 172 seeds. When mature, these turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits called blowballs or clocks. Their flowers are called “florets” because they bear many true flowers clustered together.
Collectively throughout their growing season, a single plant can produce 5,000 seeds which explains why they are everywhere.
Dandelions can best be controlled by maintaining a healthy lawn. Three of the many steps for a healthy lawn include leaving your lawn clippings, cutting the grass 2 ½ to 3 inches high, and seeding bare spots.
Dandelions can be dug out or you can use grandma’s control … vinegar. The acidity can be increased by boiling and applied directly to the center of the plant. The herbicide WEED BE GONE may also be used. If using an herbicide, wait 2 -3 days after application before mowing so that the product is fully absorbed into the leaves of the plant.
Although fall is the best time to rid a yard of dandelions, they may also be effectively treated in early spring when their leaves are young and tender.
Considered a weed by most gardeners, they’ve had many herbal medicine uses including as a mild laxative, to increase appetite and improve indigestion. Their milky latex has been used as a mosquito repellent and as a folk medicine for warts. When boiled in water, Native Americans used dandelions for swelling and skin problems.
Their flowers are frequently visited by bees and several butterflies and moths feed on them.
Although we loath them, four dandelion flowers make up the emblem of the city of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and they are the official flower of New York’s University of Rochester.
Ed Myers, (EMyers3670@aol.com), is a past president of the Irvington Garden Club and the immediate past president of the Garfield Park Master Gardener Association. Additionally, he is the steward of both the Kile Oak Habitat and the Benton House Historic Gardens