Common dandelion - Photo by Fyntastic Photography
Often considered a weed, the common dandelian can also be used as a medical herb and as food. Dandelion leaves can be collected from the wild but are also sometimes grown to be used as a leaf vegetable. Young leaves and unopened buds are used raw in salads. Older leaves are cooked.
Names
Scientific
Taraxacum officinale
English
Blowball
Common dandelion
Dandelion
Irish daisy
Lion’s-tooth
Puff-ball
Dutch
Molsla
Paardenbloem
Spanish
Achicoria amarga
Diente de león
Meacamas
German
Gewöhnlicher Löwenzahn
Löwenzahn
Italian
Dente di cane
Dente di leone
Taràssaco comune
Taxonomy
Genus
Taraxacum
Family
Asteraceae
Order
Asterales
Basic information and facts
Origin:
Africa, Asia and Europe.
Distribution:
Common dandelions are found in areas with temperate climate.
Annual, biennial, or perennial:
Dandelions are perennial plants.
Flowers:
Each flowering stem has one single yellow flower head.
Leaves:
The leaves are usually 5 to 30 cm long and 1 to 10 cm wide. Leaf margins are shallowly or deeply lobed and often toothed with sharp or dull teeth, hence the name lion’s-tooth.
Plant:
The dandelion plant grows from an unbranched taproots and has one to ten stems.
Climate and weather:
Temperate climate.
Height:
Flower stems are usually 5 to 30 cm tall.
Propagation:
By seed
Harvesting:
Pick young leaves and unopened buds.
Uses:
Young dandelion leaves and unopened buds are used raw in salads. Older leaves are used for cooking. Dandelion flowers are used to make dandelion wine. Dandelion roots are ground and roasted to be used as a coffee substitute.
Dandelion flowers and lemon can be used to make a syrup (May-honey) which is believed to be effective to treat liver problems.
Crop categories
Herbs
Leaf vegetables
Medicinal plants
Temperate crops
Vegetables
Pictures
Common dandelion - Photo by Fyntastic Photography
Common dandelion - Photo by
Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble
Common dandelion - Photo by Harry Rose
Common dandelion - Photo by Paul Van Der Werf
Dandelion greens for salad - Photo by Amber DeGrace
Dandelion greens -
Photo by Darya Pino