Dandelions - Friend or Foe?

5/6/2013

It's the season and they are out in abundance, the DANDELION!
I have to admit that I'm a hypocrite. I love fields of these little yellow beauties, I admire sheets of yellow along the roadside, I think they are pretty... BUT...and it's a big BUT...I don't like them on my lawn!

Red Island Goat Farm - Prince Edward Island, Canada

The Dandelion, throughout time has been used as a source for food and medicine. Salads are made with the greens, buds are sauteed, flowers are used for wine, the entire dandelion plant is edible. A staple for greens in a family’s diet during the Great Depression, this abundant ‘weed’ has proved to be most useful. A wildly successful self-seeder, the prolific dandelion can be found in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Dandelion leaves are abundant in vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of vitamins A, C and K, along with calcium, potassium, iron, copper and manganese.
Dandelion, they can be used for cleansing of the blood and liver, and can be used as a general tonic to cleanse and strengthen to gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, stomach and intestines. It has been used to treat hepatitis and cirrhosis, skin problems and gall stones, and many other ailments. Dandelion tea has been known to improve digestion, eliminate fatigue, assist in treatment of diabetes and low blood sugar, as well as helping to lower cholesterol.
There is a great article about the benefits of dandelion at the leaf lady.

As a child I would pick bouquets for my mom, make dandelion chains and even squish them on our skin to make our hands yellow. Now I realize dandelions are so much more. Clicking on any of the photos below will take you directly to the source.