by Angela Vetter

Created on: February 08, 2007   Last Updated: October 27, 2011

For a plant that so many consider a nuisance that they can't seem to get rid of, the Dandelion has a plethora of uses, from culinary to even magical, medical to aesthetic. The Europeans brought this wonder plant with them when they colonized North America. Every part of the Dandelion can be used for some purpose or another, including uses found by Native Americans after the plant took hold and began growing wild.

The Dandelion is of the composite family, and can be found living happily across almost all of North America in a varity of conditions.  This interesting herb is usually low-growing, with rich green colored toothed leaves all growing from the center top of the root. The bright yellow flowers, which grow from a brownish-green stalk, appear from the early spring to late fall, and after the tiny-petaled round blooms are done showing off, the heads turn into whitish balls of cottony wisps, which carry a small seed at the end of it.

Native Americans used the plant long ago in tea form as a tonic, while latter settlers used the long flowering season of the plant to provide pollen for bees. Also, the flowers can be used to make a yeallow dye, and the roots provide a reddish-purplish color to fabrics.

Most modern uses come from a culinary or medical standpoint. The leaves have been eaten raw in salads, or cooked as greens, and for good reason. They are a rich source of vitamins A and C. The newly opened flowers can be made into wine, and when the roots are dried and brewed, the result is a coffee-like drink that is useful to get rid of extra water stored in the body. The brew has also been proven to treat problems with the liver, and as a general tonic for health, as with the leaves.

Folk uses for the Dandelion are as varied as the modern ones. The brew from the roots is not only good for you and tasty, it is also reputed to encourage your psychic abilities, and if in the room next to the bed, will call visions to you. Also, if you want to let someone know you're thinking of them, blow the downy head of seeds in their direction, while seeing their face in your mind.

So, before you go out to your yard cursing and pouring bag after bag of weed killer out on your grass, stop and think what a yard full of beautiful golden Dandelions could do for you in the long run. You may not want any grass at all!

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