Common Flower Gems - Classification # 5 Dandelion (Taraxacum)

White Dandelion puffs are composed of hundreds of seed heads which are often carried as far as 5 miles from their origin!

I pulled some info online about Dandelions so I urged you to learn more about this common flower gem that is native to Eurasia and North and South America. Every year Americans spend millions on lawn pesticides to have uniform lawns of non-native grasses, and we use 30% of the country’s water supply to keep them green. The dandelion is the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars. The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.

Fun Facts :

• The dandelion flower opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep.
• Every part of the dandelion is useful: root, leaves, flower. It can be used for food, medicine and dye for coloring.
• Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile.
• The average American recognizes thousands of logos for commercial products, yet recognizes fewer than five plants that grow in his/her area. Dandelions are most likely one of those familiar plants.
• The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves.
• Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

Yellow Dandelion head is composed of hundreds of florets