Dandelion
Appearance and Location
Dandelion, also known as “lion’s tooth” or “monk’s head”, is a hardy, golden-yellow perennial with 40 species in the Taraxacum genus. This weedy perennial herb is formed of a rosette of leaves with yellow flower clusters rising from the center. It grows on hollow stalks that can range from 2 to 24 inches tall. Dandelion is typically native to Europe, Asia, and parts of northern Africa, but has spread to many other places of the world. You can commonly find it growing on lawns, in gardens, parks, meadows, pastures, and disturbed areas. The most common type of Dandelion used medicinally is known as Taraxacum officinale.
The genus “Taraxacum” derives from the Greek word “taraxos” meaning disorder, and “akos,” meaning remedy. Dandelion is a very misunderstood herb, typically thought of as nothing more than a pesky weed. In reality, it’s packed full of vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as minerals, such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Before the concept of lawns was invented, people praised the golden blossoms and lion-toothed leaves for their ability to provide food and medicine. Dandelions have wide-spreading roots that loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. Their deep taproots pull nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and make them available to other plants. So while most people write them off as a lawn killer, dandelions actually help to fertilize the grass.
Functions and Properties Throughout History
Dandelion has been used medicinally for centuries, with the first recorded use dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. In the past, dandelion roots and leaves were used to treat liver and digestive problems. However, it’s been used for numerous amounts of other ailments(such as baldness, dandruff, toothache, sores, fevers, rotting gums, weakness, lethargy, and depression), for aesthetic purposes, and even as culinary dishes.
In England and Ireland, Dandelion was primarily used to treat coughs, colds, and other respiratory problems, increase urine production, and “cleanse the blood” to address skin ailments. They used the milky latex externally for wart removal. However, in Persian and East Indian culture, Dandelion was used as a mild laxative and appetite stimulant – in addition for treatment of urinary problems, externally for wounds, boils, sprains, and swelling.
Once introduced and naturalized in North America via the Mayflower, various indigenous tribes consumed Dandelion greens for food as well as a tonic to purify their blood. Similarly, they also used Dandelion leaves for wounds, stomachaches, sore throats, and pain. They also drank infusions of young leaves or flowers for menstrual cramps, to produce postpartum milk flow, as an emetic, as well as a “love medicine.”
Today, extracts of Dandelion are generally recognized as safe for use in food products in the US and also permitted as dietary supplement ingredients. It’s typically promoted as a tonic, a diuretic, and for a variety of conditions(such as for treatment of infections and digestive symptoms). Dandelion is still often used in culinary dishes such as in salads, soups, tea, and even wine. Many also use the roasted root as a coffee substitute. It’s the most nutrient dense herb you can find growing in your garden.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Weed Science Society of America | Grow Forage Cook Ferment | University of Maine | Mount Sinai
| Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners | Herbalgram | NCCIH | Circulating Now
Appearance and Location
Appearance and Location
Dandelion, also known as “lion’s tooth” or “monk’s head”, is a hardy, golden-yellow perennial with 40 species in the Taraxacum genus. This weedy perennial herb is formed of a rosette of leaves with yellow flower clusters rising from the center. It grows on hollow stalks that can range from 2 to 24 inches tall. Dandelion is typically native to Europe, Asia, and parts of northern Africa, but has spread to many other places of the world. You can commonly find it growing on lawns, in gardens, parks, meadows, pastures, and disturbed areas. The most common type of Dandelion used medicinally is known as Taraxacum officinale.
The genus “Taraxacum” derives from the Greek word “taraxos” meaning disorder, and “akos,” meaning remedy. Dandelion is a very misunderstood herb, typically thought of as nothing more than a pesky weed. In reality, it’s packed full of vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as minerals, such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Before the concept of lawns was invented, people praised the golden blossoms and lion-toothed leaves for their ability to provide food and medicine. Dandelions have wide-spreading roots that loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. Their deep taproots pull nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and make them available to other plants. So while most people write them off as a lawn killer, dandelions actually help to fertilize the grass.
Functions and Properties
Throughout History
Functions and Properties Throughout History
Dandelion has been used medicinally for centuries, with the first recorded use dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. In the past, dandelion roots and leaves were used to treat liver and digestive problems. However, it’s been used for numerous amounts of other ailments(such as baldness, dandruff, toothache, sores, fevers, rotting gums, weakness, lethargy, and depression), for aesthetic purposes, and even as culinary dishes.
In England and Ireland, Dandelion was primarily used to treat coughs, colds, and other respiratory problems, increase urine production, and “cleanse the blood” to address skin ailments. They used the milky latex externally for wart removal. However, in Persian and East Indian culture, Dandelion was used as a mild laxative and appetite stimulant – in addition for treatment of urinary problems, externally for wounds, boils, sprains, and swelling.
Once introduced and naturalized in North America via the Mayflower, various indigenous tribes consumed Dandelion greens for food as well as a tonic to purify their blood. Similarly, they also used Dandelion leaves for wounds, stomachaches, sore throats, and pain. They also drank infusions of young leaves or flowers for menstrual cramps, to produce postpartum milk flow, as an emetic, as well as a “love medicine.”
Today, extracts of Dandelion are generally recognized as safe for use in food products in the US and also permitted as dietary supplement ingredients. It’s typically promoted as a tonic, a diuretic, and for a variety of conditions(such as for treatment of infections and digestive symptoms). Dandelion is still often used in culinary dishes such as in salads, soups, tea, and even wine. Many also use the roasted root as a coffee substitute. It’s the most nutrient dense herb you can find growing in your garden.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Weed Science Society of America | Grow Forage Cook Ferment | University of Maine | Mount Sinai | Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners | Herbalgram | NCCIH | Circulating Now