HERB TALK: DANDELION by Damiana Blume My absolute all time favorite wild herb to collect is the dandelion. I am thrilled each spring to see the new shoots appear on my lawn and in my flowerbeds. Yes, I remove them from between the tulips and daffodils, however, I eat the tender young shoots in salad. And I clean the greens to cook with garlic and olive oil on one night then prepare with balsamic vinegar the next. Since childhood I have collected these wonderful greens from the fields around my home. Now that I am an urban gardener I make sure that the shoots I collect are not contaminated with insecticides or other pollutants. The dandelion's name comes from the French, dent de lion, because the jagged leaves resemble lion's teeth. The leaves are also a strong diuretic, which is reflected in its country name, pissenlit, which means, "piss the bed." Herbalists recommend dandelion for fluid retention and for ailments of the gall bladder and liver. One need only look at the nutritional value of this common weed to see that we all should be digging in for a second or third helping. Taraxacum officinale is a plant of the sunflower family. Although originally native to Greece, it has made its way around the globe and now this hardy biennial can be found almost everywhere on earth. With 7,000 international units of Vitamin A per ounce of greens ( The yellow color of the flowers is not carotene.) compared with the 1,275 found in the carrot, it is not hard to see that this herb is a nutritional giant. It is also loaded with Vitamin B and C. In times past, elixirs were used to treat scurvy ( vitamin C deficiency) and skin disorders. The high anti-oxidant value of this plant is most likely one of the reasons for its wide spread use. The greens are also an excellent souce of potassium and calcium. Not only is the leaf useful but the root can be dried and used as a vitamin supplement and as a tonic. It can be powdered and used as a tea. I have yet to try this from personal experience. But this year I have found myself really in tune with the dandelion and I may yet try this. The root should be harvested when the plant is in flower. Speaking of flowers, the bright yellow flowers can be used in making wine, jellies, and also as a dye. The dandelion is indeed a wonder weed with each of its three parts: the root, the leaf, and the flower useful to the herbalist and the natural chef alike. from: "A Handbook of Native American Herbs," by Alma R. Hutchens page 80 "The Pocket Guide to Herbs," by Anna Kruger page 61 "Stalking the Healthful Herbs," by Euwl Gibbons pages 272, and 279 return to table of contents