Dandelion is not only very good for you, it is propbably the easiest herb to get.  These unappreciated wonders cheerfully spring up in lawns everywhere.   Most people want to get rid of them, but hopefully after learning a little more about them you will at least give them a try before sending them to the compost pile!

For Magick:  In searching for magickal uses for dandelion it seems that it has mostly been used for calling on spirits, divination, purification and, of course...wishing.  Blow all the seeds off a fluffy dandelion and your wish will come true.  Some say that to blow the seeds off a ripened head is to carry your thoughts to a loved one, near or far.  Whatever your intention this is a great active symbolism and would work well to activate your goal.

For Healing:  Although springtime is the best time to really get into using fresh dandelion, the dried leaves, flowers and roots can be used throughout the year. The dandelion has two particularly important uses; to promote the formation of bile and to remove excess water from the body resulting from liver problems. By helping to remove poisons from the body, it acts as a tonic and stimulant. The fresh juice is most effective, but dandelion can also be prepared as a tea. An infusion of the fresh root is said to be good for gallstones, jaundice, and other liver problems.

If you are going to use dandelions from your yard just be sure you aren't taking them from anywhere that has been sprayed with chemicals. One really good thing about them is that there are no poisonous look alikes.  Collect dandelion leaves in early spring, when they're the tastiest, before the flowers appear. Harvest again in late fall. After a frost, their bitterness disappears. Dandelions growing in rich, moist soil, with the broadest leaves and largest roots, are the best. Use the younger plants and avoid plants with flowers when using medicinally. Some people eat the greens from spring to fall, when they're very bitter. Others boil out the summer bitterness (and water-soluble vitamins if you don't drink the water) in two changes of water. It’s all a matter of preference.

Dandelion root is one of the safest and most popular herbal remedies. The specific name, officinale, means that it is used medicinally.  Don't use it with irritable stomach or bowel, or if you have an acute inflammation.

The modern French name for this plant is pissenlit (lit means bed) because the root and leaf tea act on the kidneys as a gentle diuretic, improving the way they cleanse the blood and recycle nutrients. Unlike pharmaceutical diuretics, this doesn't leach potassium, a vital mineral, from the body. Improved general health and clear skin result from improved kidney function. Dandelions are also good for the bladder, spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines. It’s recommended for stressed-out, internally sluggish, and sedentary people. Anyone who's a victim of excessive fat, white flour, and concentrated sweeteners could benefit from a daily cup of dandelion tea.

For Dinner:  Dandelion has a tate that might take some getting used to but the leaves are more nutritious than anything you can buy. They're higher in beta-carotene than carrots. The iron and calcium content is phenomenal, greater than spinach. You also get vitamins B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, P, and D, biotin, inositol, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc by using a tasty, free vegetable that grows on virtually every lawn. The root contains the sugar inulin, plus many medicinal substances.

A good way to start is by simply throwing a few leaves into a salad or blending them into a smoothie. The flowers are edible but you should take top of the green stem off because it is especially bitter. The flowers are a pretty addition to a salad or just as edible decoration to any dish.

I have not yet ventured completely into the culinary use of dandelions but I have found whole sites dedicated to this healthy plant.  You'll be surprised what you can do!

The National Dandelion Cookoff 2004!
Tortino with Dandelion Greens
More Dandelion Recipes
Marissa's Dandelion Patch

History:  Also known as swine's snout, yellow gowan, Irish daisy and peasant's cloak, the dandelion has enjoyed allies since the 10th century.  Though not occurring in the Southern Hemisphere, is at home in all parts of the north temperate zone, in pastures, meadows and on waste ground, and is so plentiful that farmers everywhere find it a troublesome weed.

Each leaf is cut into great jagged teeth, either upright or pointing somewhat backwards, and these teeth are themselves cut here and there into lesser teeth. It is this somewhat fanciful resemblance to the canine teeth of a lion that gives the plant its most familiar name of Dandelion, which is a corruption of the French Dent de Lion.

I hope, if nothing else, you have gained a new appreciation of what most think of as a weed. And if you are adventurous give this, the healthiest of plants, a try!

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