Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is the most common and easily identified perennial weed in the United States. Dandelions have beautiful clear yellow blooms from spring to fall. The flower stems grow two to ten inches above the plants, and the medium green lobed leaves are about six inches long. They also enjoy a deep healthy taproot that looks like a member of the carrot family. If only this plant could be put into a flower bed and stay, we would love them but the seed can be carried by the wind for miles and they love our lawns.
Dandelions have two ways to reproduce.
They produce seeds and send off shoots from it’s fleshy taproot. The taproot grows two to three feet (yes, I said feet deep) in the soil. They can obviously survive the coldest winters. As the yellow flowers mature and ripen, they form white puff balls that contain the seeds. The top dies back in late fall and the taproot winters over to start the cycle again in the spring.
Years ago, we had a diet coke commercial featuring a gorgeous hunk of a man (without his shirt) clad only in a pair of skintight blue jeans. This handsome guy was on his hands and knees removing dandelions from a small plat of lawn, while a beautiful woman in the window next door was seen blowing more dandelion seeds in his direction.
I accept that we all have dandelions, some of us just have more than others. Now for the solution there are manual tools like the
“weed hound” which pops the dandelion out of the ground and claims to get the entire root, or you can use any broadleaf killer such as 2-4-D, weed-be-gone, or even a Weed and Feed. For best results you will need to make at least two applications, early summer and then again in early fall.
Do not mow or water for two days after the application. I have a friend who chooses to always pick the dandelion before they bloom. Then she would just slip the little flower in her pocket. This way she had only to fight the already established plants not new seedlings. Mowing before the seed heads form also helps to slow this aggressive plant.
If you don’t want to fight dandelions you can eat them – they are good in salads, both the leaves and the blooms. I had a friend who made dandelion wine, and it is also used in herbal remedies. I found an ad for dandelion extract on the web for $19.95 I’m not sure what it’s trying to cure.
One Mother’s Day I had the rare treat of having all my children and grandchildren home. We had a lovely “French picnic” walked the yard and enjoyed being together. When I saw a dandelion blooming Ibent down, picked the bloom and put it in my pocket only to have my six- year- old grandson excitedly run to the next plant, pick the puff ball and blow hardily, “Oh, Fisher” I said “let’s pick them and put them in our pockets.» “Why?” he asked, I replied “so that they don’t spread the seeds.” “Mama Gayle” he asked with a hurt look on his face, “don’t you like wish-ers?” Wish-ers! Of course I like wishers. Every grandmother will gladly give a child this simple fuzzy ball to blow across her lawn because we all have so much to wish and be thankful for.
