Plant Study
DANDELION
Family Name: Aster (Composite)
Latin Family Name: Asteraceae (Compositae)
Latin Name: Tarazacum officinale
Common Names: Priest’s crown. Swine’s Snout.
Related Species: Echinacea ( Echinacea purpurea ), Chicory (Cichorium intybus ).
Body System Affiliations:
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Digestive
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Urinary
Botanical Description:
Habit: Herb.
Size: 2 – 18 inches tall.
Arrangement: Basal.
Leaves: Shiny with jagged edges or “teeth, sprout from a single base, 3-12 inches in length.
Flowers: Yellow composite head, grow individually, 1-2 inches wide.
Fruit: White seed-head, fuzzy globe.
Underground Parts: Large taproot with many smaller offshoots.
Ecology:
Habitat: Basically anywhere there are moderate temperatures (meadows, gardens, pastures, cracks in the road, etc.).
Range: Northern hemisphere.
Origin: Europe and Asia.
Energetics: Cold energy (3:164).
Astrological Associations: (4:29)
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Deities: Hecate, Belenos, Sun Gods
Indigenous and Non-Western Use:
Country: Various Native American groups.
Medicinal Actions: Have used as a sedative, a laxative, a pain reliever, a tonic and as an emetic (6).
Indications: Have used to purify blood, clear up skin problems, and promote
general health (6).
Country: India
Indications: Has been used for liver complaints (2:5).
Western (European-American) Use:
Food: The young greens are often used in salads, fried up with olive oil, or added to vegetable soup. Dried leaves may be used to make Dandelion Beer. The flowers are used to make Dandelion Wine, and the roasted roots are used for Dandelion Coffee.
Medicine:
Parts Used: Root, young top.
Actions: Can be used as a tonic, diuretic, or a mild laxative. Strengthens the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, and stomach.
Indications: Clears skin problems. Can reduce inflammation in case of hepatitis and cirrhosis (1).
Cautions: May worsen side effects associated with lithium and interfere with the absorption of some antibiotics (5). May cause severe allergic reactions.
Personal Experience:
Medicine:
Parts Used: Root.
Actions: Strengthen the liver.
Harvest:
Site Location: My backyard in Olympia, Washington
Site Description: I harvested the dandelion throughout my backyard, both in the lawn and in the garden beds. The soil was moist and easy to dig. Other species present included Rosemary, Cabbage Rose, Daisy, and Basil. I was able to harvest about 1 ½ cups of dandelion root.
Application: Tincture.
Preparation: Equal parts of dandelion root and vinegar, refrigerate for four weeks.
Pharmacy: 10 to 15 drops in a spoonful of water, three times a day (2:8).
Purpose: I hope to maintain a healthy liver.
Interesting Facts:
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Can help remove warts and calluses.
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Stimulate appetite.
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Referred to as “piss-a-beds” because of their diuretic qualities (6).
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Brought to the U.S.A. to provide food for bees (6).
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Dandelion has 50 % more vitamin C than tomatoes, double the amount of protein as eggplant, twice the amount of fiber as asparagus, more potassium than bananas, and is equal in iron to spinach (4:5).
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Ninety-three kinds of insects are known to use dandelion for its nectar.
References Cited:
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Blais, Pat. Gardens Ablaze Website. Online at http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbDandelionMed.htm. Constantly updated. Visited 11-02-2005.
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Grieve, Mrs. M. A Modern Herbal. 1995. Online at http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/dandel08.html. Visited 11-02-2005.
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Tierra, Lesley. A Kid’s Herb Book. Bandon, Oregon: Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2005.
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Wilensky, Amy S. DANDELION Celebrating the Magical Blossom. San Francisco: Council Oak Books, LLC, 2000.
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Author Unknown. University of Maryland Medical Center Website. Online at http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerb/Dandelion.html. Visited 11-02-2005.
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Author Unknown. 2000 Summer Biology Institute Biodiversity Website. Online at http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/Ethnobotany/dandelion.html. Visited 11-02-2005.
DANDELION
The Magical Weed
Did you know that dandelion is good for all sorts of things?
It can be used for food and medicine. It is full
of lots of vitamins and minerals so it helps keep
you strong and healthy. If you have a stomach
ache you might want to try drinking some
dandelion tea to help it go away.
Some say that dandelion even has
magical powers. If you close your
eyes and blow on a dandelion puff,
scattering all its seeds,
your wish will come true.
If you rub the milky white sap
of dandelion on a wart, it will
make it disappear.
Some young and saucy dandelions
Stood laughing in the sun;
They were brimming full of happiness,
And running o’er with fun.
At length they saw beside them
A dandelion old;
His form was bent and withered,
Gone were his locks of gold.
“Oh, oh!” they cried, “just see him;
Old greybeard, how d’ye do?
We’d hide our heads in the grasses,
If we were as bald as you.”
But lo! When dawned the morning,
Up rose each tiny head,
Decked not with golden tresses, but long grey locks instead.
-Anonymous
