Dandelions – Pesky Invader Or Nutritional Powerhouse?

Posted by admin on March 2, 2010

One of the earliest and most nutritious greens we can find in spring is the commonly despised dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). In North America, most people view dandelions as a weed, good only to ruthlessly remove from lawns and gardens. However, other cultures, especially Europeans, value the common dandelion, and grow it as a respected and nutritional plant in their garden.

Every part of the dandelion can be useful. The flowers are used to make an herbal wine, or even put into stir fries or battered and cooked as fritters. The young fresh leaves are a tasty and peppery addition to spring salads, stir-frys and soups, or served steamed like spinach. Make sure only to use young leaves, as the older ones quickly become bitter.

High in beta carotene, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium and other minerals, the leaves and root are highly nutritious. Most of our common greens, like spinach, lettuce and chards do not come close as nutritional powerhouses. They are also full of Vitamin A, most B vitamins, and have a high Vitamin C content.

This is a perennial plant, and if you plan to use the roots, allow at least two growing seasons so the root reaches a good size. They can be dug in the fall, cut into small pieces and dried, roasted and used to make a caffeine free tea. This tea can be used as a diuretic, helping with cleansing the liver and is a digestive tonic. The milky white sap has astringent qualities, so can help dry up some skin conditions like eczema and acne. However, it’s best to do some testing, since some people react adversely to it.

Dandelions grow almost any where, in all zones from 2 to 9. They prefer full sun, but will grow in partly shady spots quite well. They don’t seem to mind what type of soil is provided, as long as it is loose. If you decide to plant dandelions in your garden as a spring green, collect wild seeds from the puffballs in summer. Organic seeds are available from some growers commercially.

Sow the seeds shallowly in early spring where you want them to grow, since they don’t take well to transplanting. If you plan to use the roots, dig in compost or rotted manure, and loosen the soil. The plants will grow into a 6 to 12 inch rosette of deeply toothed dark green leaves above a long taproot. In late spring the bright golden flowers appear, followed by the white puffballs of seeds. One precaution – keep ahead of those airy parachute seed heads, since a wayward breeze can easily seed your whole garden with dandelions for the following year.

Gardening expert Nicki Goff offers a free e-mail starter course all about her main passion… herb gardening. Visit her website for access, and even more great tips in her new comprehensive e-book on creating, maintaining and enjoying your own home herb garden, along with bonus e-books on specific aspects of herb lore.

Find more tips, links and articles on her general garden blog.

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