Yeah, yeah, a weed free lawn looks nice if you are looking for boring uniformity but to a hungry little bee with a job, it’s a desert wasteland.

Dandelions (Taraxacum sp.) belong to the sunflower (Asteraceae) family. You probably won’t be shocked to learn that that’s the family that pretty things in your garden, like sunflowers and daisies, belong to. Asteraceae also contains the plants that give us food like lettuce, artichokes, canola and safflower oils, chicory, camomile and echinacea; medicinal herbs like arnica, wormwood, feverfew and a few annoying things like cocklebur and tarweed (I personally love the smell of tarweed). Asteraceae contains upwards of 30,000 species in 1,600 genera. Members of this family can be found pretty much anywhere in the world with the exception of Antarctica from hot to cold, wet to dry and from low desert to alpine. Some members of Asteraceae have flower heads that have disk and ray flowers. Disk flowers are what turn into sunflower seeds and the ray flowers are the outer strap like petals on a sunflower. Many species in the family develop a fluffy seed head (think dandelion fluff or the fuzzy stuff you cut out of an artichoke) called a pappus. The fluff starts out at the base of the ovary and as the flower and seeds mature it grows longer. It’s this fluff that acts like a parachute that gets carried by the wind to help disperse the seeds when they’re ready. Some species, like common cocklebur, have seeds with hooks (like velcro) that grab on the clothing or animal’s fur to aid in seed dispersal.

I’m pretty confident that you’ve already figured out which type of seeds dandelions have (hint, they have the fluffy kind) which helps explain why they’re so prolific. Being very hardy and tolerant of freezing temperatures as well as drought conditions once they’re established also helps in their quest for world domination - or at the very least the conquest of your yard. Dandelions thrive in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade and a wide diversity of soil types. Each flower has approximately 20,000 individual seeds (!) but the plant can also spread from root fragments which is why it’s important to remove the entire taproot if you’re trying to get rid of them.

Weedy plant species are described as thriving in disturbed environments, often becoming invasive and problematic. Weedy species survive in adverse conditions by reproducing quickly and dispersing widely, often outcompeting native species. Sound like anything you might recognize…?

Most species that are commonly called dandelions are considered a weed and are native to Europe. But, they’re a pretty weed with their happy little sunshine yellow faces peeking out of a bright green dress. Despite being a bother to gardeners, they are an important food source for bees and butterflies. Because they are one of the first blossoms to appear in spring, dandelions are often one of the only vital food sources for our pollinator friends. They are also an important food source for other wildlife species such as birds, hares, rabbits and rodents - some of which are important food sources for other carnivorous wildlife species. 

The entire dandelion plant is edible to humans and wildlife and is more nutritious than many common vegetables. Dandelions contain high amounts of antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, Bs, C, E and K. The roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute, the young leaves are less bitter than mature greens and are used in salads and the flowers steeped as a tea, made into wine or even baked goods. I don’t know if this will entice anyone to try them but my iguana devoured dandelion greens! I found them in my neighborhood grocery store right next to the other greens. Farmer’s Markets also often have dandelion greens available.

Dandelions were also traditionally used in herbal medicine and made into tinctures and tonics to aid in liver and kidney function. They also reduce inflammation and act as a diuretic to help remove toxins. It is also thought that dandelions may assist with control of blood sugar and can also possibly improve digestion. There are many ongoing studies that indicate that dandelions may have several other health benefits as well.

And here’s something else unexpected! Dandelions are known as “dynamic accumulators” and provide a friendly service to your garden. Because they have such deep taproots they are able to pull nutrients from deeper soil layers and once the dandelion dies, those nutrients become available for other plants to use.

So quite literally, a dead dandelion is a good dandelion. But, they have many positives too!