Cool spring rains turn brownish lawns into lush greenery.
People smile and begin to plan their spring gardens. Soon their
smiles turn to frowns as numerous, yellow flowers dot their lawn.
They reach for the dandelion tool, put on their gloves and declare
war on these cheery little plants called dandelions. Is the
dandelion just an annoying weed to be pulled up and thrown away? Not
everyone thinks so.
The dandelion is a hardy perennial native herb growing
throughout the northern hemisphere. A member of the Compositae
family makes it a close relative to chicory. Dandelions pop up in
pastures, meadows, along roadsides and the well-tended lawns on the
neighbor block. Growing about 12-inches tall, the lance-shaped
leaves are deeply toothed, shiny, hairless and arranged in a ground-
level rosette.
Yellow flowers bloom for most of the year and are sensitive
to light and weather. They open at daybreak and close at nightfall.
They show their yellow faces in nice weather but if rain is coming
they close up tight. Once the flower matures the petals wither and
it soon forms a puff-ball containing seeds that are dispersed by the
breeze.
Aiding the dandelions stubborn refusal to "go away" is it's
long tap root. If you dig up a dandelion and don't get all of it's
root it will quickly regrow. Dandelions are extremely self-
sufficient and hard to destroy. To assure it gets the most from
mother nature the rosette formation of grooved leaves channels rain
water into its center and down the taproot. A dandelions taproot it
thick and dark brown (almost black) on the outside. The root is
cylindrical, tapering and somewhat branched. People spend hours of
their time and many dollars buying tools and weed killers in their
attempt to eradicate this sunny little plant who refuses to go away.
Although despised by many, the dandelion is cherished by
others. To herbalists, the dandelion is considered a nutritious
healing herb with a medicinal reputation dating back more than 1,000
years. Chinese physicians have used dandelion since ancient times to
treat various illnesses. During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed
in the Doctrine of Signatures---the idea that plants' physical
characteristics reveal their healing value. Under this doctrine,
anything yellow was linked to the liver's yellow bile and considered
a liver remedy. That's why dandelion gained a reputation in Europe
as a treatment for jaundice and gallstones. The Doctrine of
Signatures was also used to explain dandelion's use as a diuretic to
treat water retention.
Dandelion has a juicy root, stem, and
leaves. Anything juicy was linked to urine production.
Thanks to17th century herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper,
dandelion's medicinal reputation spread as widely as a dandelions
across an untended lawn. Eventually the dandelion was used for so
many ailments, it became known as "the official remedy for
disorders." Early colonists introduced dandelion to North America,
and the Indians quickly adopted it as a tonic. Despite dandelion's
incorporation into the "U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1831 to 1926, many
19th century herbalists reverted to calling the dandelion a herb of
little value.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) continues to treat
dandelion as a weed. The agency's official position is: "There is no
convincing reason for believing it possesses any therapeutic
virtues." Many herbalists of today disagree with that. They say
that the FDA forgot to read their Ralph Waldo Emerson.
"What is a
weed?" Emerson wrote. "A plant whose virtues have not yet been
discovered."
Thanks to some modern herbalists the dandelion's
virtues have been well documented.
Studies show that the dandelion to be a rich source of
vitamins and minerals. The leaves have the highest vitamin A content
of all greens. Herbalists say that dandelion root heads the list of
excellent foods for the liver because of it's relatively high amounts
of choline which is an important nutrient for the liver. Dandelion
leaves are a diuretic, meaning that they help flush excess water from
the body. Dandelion flowers are well-endowed with lecithin, a
nutrient that has been proven useful in various liver ailments. In
addition to dandelion's medicinal use, it is consumed as a nutritious
food and beverage.
Young dandelion leaves are delicious raw in salads and on
sandwiches. Lightly steamed leaves with bits of crisp bacon or
seasoned with cider vinegar or lemon juice and butter are a
delightful change from common vegetable greens. For years the leaves
and flowers have been brewed into a traditionally popular dandelion
wine. Even dandelion buds are useful as a foot. Harvest them in
early spring, preboil them a few minutes to remove some of the
bitterness, then cook the buds as a vegetable mixed with onions. Add
salt and pepper along with butter sauce. Dandelion also are used as
a breakfast food.
Dandelion Blossom Fritter
Dandelion blossom fritters are easy to make. You simply mix
wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, beaten eggs and butter
together. Stir in dandelion blossoms and drop by spoonfuls onto a
hot greased griddle and fry them until they are golden brown. Try
topping them off with you homemade dandelion jelly.
Dandelion Jelly
Snip off the
golden blossoms and boil them in water. Add a package of powered
pectin and a little lemon juice. Bring everything to a boil again,
add some sugar along with a few drops of yellow food coloring. Boil
until it reaches the jelly stage.
Dandelion Coffee
If you want a hot beverage simply
make dandelion coffee.
Dandelion coffee is made from the root of the plant. Gather
your roots in the fall or in the early spring before the plant
blooms. Scrub the unpeeled roots with a stiff brush. Use the big
part of the root for a vegetable. It's the skinny side roots that
you need to dry , grind, and roast for you brew. Simply dry the
roots in an oven (150 degrees) until they are brittle and snap
easily. Then roast them at about 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or
until they are dark brown inside. Now grind them in the blender
until they look like coffee. For a steaming cup of dandelion coffee
use about one teaspoon of ground root to a cup of boiling water.
This brew will have a flavor all its own, vaguely chocolaty and
pleasing.
Changes are you will be able to find many dandelions growing
wild. Check nearby lawns or country roadsides. (Editor's Note: be cautious of
this and check to make sure pesticides or other sprays have not
been used near the plants.) It's unlikely anyone
would mind if you took some of these prolific plants. Dandelions are
good container plants for apartment dwellers. Dandelion seeds may
not be readily available, but check herb catalogs. There is now a
cultivated dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) that is said to make
bigger and better greens than the wild dandelions. Greens will be
ready six weeks after planting your seeds and blossoms will follow
shortly. The earlier you pick you greens the less bitter they will
be. If you plant your dandelions outside and let them go to seed you
will have volunteer dandelions there forever. We are learning more
and more about beneficial plants from the teachings of our ancestors.
The dandelion has been such a widely despised weed that it's
sometimes difficult to see this plant for what it really is---a
nutritious healing herb with a medicinal reputation dating back more
than 1,000 years.
About the author:
Joyce Huff is an experienced crafter and published author of various
gardening articles. She is currently the owner of The Tulip Tree
Arts and Crafts Store in Bedford, Virginia.
See her pressed flower artwork at www.thetuliptree.net
