Fine and Dandy! (Dandelions 101)

Dandelions! We see them everywhere we go; why not learn a bit about them? Read on for some biology, history, and fun facts about the orange-yellow puff ball of a plant.

A bright and sunny dandelion in full bloom. Image from Wikipedia

Dandelions get their name from the French word for "lion's tooth," because of the serrated leaves on dandelions in full bloom (check out the image on the left). Dandelions, with the scientific name, Taraxacum officinale, have the longest flowering season of any plant -- the flowering season being only one stage of their unique, fascinating reproductive cycle. Dandelions reproduce via apomixis, the formation of seeds through asexual fertilization. After dandelions flower, they become gray puff-balls as they enter the seed-dispersal phase (the second image displays this stage). Each seed has a parachute-like quality, allowing the wind to blow them off of the weed's stem, and be planted all over (if your lawn has dandelions, chances are they're not just in one spot!).

Dandelions are just like any other plant, in that they use sunlight for energy to grow (this is called photosynthesis!) Sunlight absorption is key -- in fact, the greater the surface area of the dandelion leaves, the more sunlight they can absorb, and most often, the taller they get. This is particularly easy for humans to see/measure because dandelions are weeds, so by definition, they spread and grow at rapid speeds.

Unfortunately, in Montclair and in countless other grass-heavy locations, pesticide is used to kill dandelions because they grow in such large quantities on lawns. I say "unfortunately" because pesticides have been shown not only to be detrimental to the plants they are sprayed on (that's kind of the point in this case) and the animals that inhale them, but may be linked to many human diseases such as Alzheimers, ADHD, and even birth defects. Just something to think about.

An interesting fact to end this post: Dandelions were brought to North America by the early colonists, and were actually used as a healing herb because of their nutritious consistency. In fact, some herbalists consider the dandelion to be an effective treatment for liver disease, given its ability to clean the bloodstream and increase bile production -- the more you know!

In fact, just last night I had dandelion leaves in a salad last night -- they're a bit bitter but mixed with other greens added a fun and healthy flavor to my dinner!

A dandelion that has gone to seed. Image from Wikipedia.

Blowing dandelion seeds has universal appeal, unless you are someone who is obsessed with a perfectly manicured, green lawn. Can you see any adaptions when looking at the image above? I marvel at these perfect little reproductive parachutes.