Dandelions Galore!

This has been one rainy spring and without time to run out to the garden between rainfalls, dandelion has had plenty of time to make her presence known! You see this lovely bit of sunshine popping her head up pretty much anywhere she wants to ;) Dandelion is so sassy and brazen, she really does put herself way out there and for that I think of her as a great symbol of springtime.

Dandelion also helps me remember the importance of community and the lovely give and take that community can provide. If you have ever communed with dandelion then you know what a community minded spirit she has. Clumps of flowers growing together, sharing space and soil give me the feeling that these are plants that like being together. Even their roots intertwine in the most lovely way. Being present and available for community is such a healthy and happy way to live, thank you dandelion for reminding me!

There is no stopping this plant once she gets going. Try popping the flower heads off and the mutation process begins, more flowers and seed heads than before if you can believe it! Pulling the plant up from the leaves will really do nothing either as the root can propagate itself and grow more plants from the same plant. Digging her up with root intact is the way to do it if you are trying to establish some boundaries with this plant.

This is how to harvest dandelion for food as well. Make sure when urban harvesting to only harvest from spaces that you know are not chemical laden, which can either be really easy or really difficult. Yards of people that do not spray their lawns are usually a good place to start. I steer clear of medians, sidewalks, and city parks.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is great medicine. One of the best spring tonics, dandelion will help you cleanse that winter comfort food quick enough. Dandelion leaves are diuretic and have an affinity for the kidneys ("piss a bed") and stomach. They are also high in calcium, potassium, and B Vitamins (Gladstar, 2001). The root is great for cooling and cleansing the liver and the blossoms are good heart medicine. Make a dandelion blossom wine and your heart will be glad you did!

Dandelion is an alkaline food so it helps balance out all the acidic food that is common in the "American diet". We have been adding the leaves to salads. They are wonderful at this time of year and it is later in the year that they become more bitter. The same goes for the root. Think of it as similar to burdock root, sauteed in stir fries or added to soups. Put fresh dandelion sap on scars and they will heal and disappear over time. Fresh spring greens are a great way to protect your thyroid from doses of radiation that is becoming ever more present in our environments. This whole plant is full of so much medicine!

Susun Weed's book "Healing Wise" was one of my first herb books I ever bought and I still refer back to it for food and medicine recipes. The dandelion chapter is especially helpful and clever. Rosemary Gladstar has an excellent way of helping people understand the versatility of herbs as food and medicine. I recommend her book "The Family Herbal" for everyone.

Here are some other things to try with dandelion:
-dandelion aperitif
-dandelion blossom facial toner
-dandelion blossom syrup (yum!)
-dandelion wine

-add an arm-full of dandelion blossoms to a bath for a golden dose of summery sunshine!

-add molasses to a decoction of dandelion root and that is a mineral rich (especially iron) way to start the day and your liver will be very happy!

-leaves can be made into a delicious pesto (add other greens like nettle and basil to cut the bitterness)

-steam the leaves and add some Tamari or Braggs

-ease indigestion with the root of dandelion

-use dandelion leaves for urinary tract health (UTIs and overall health) for men and women

-for women: herbs that are good for the liver are often good hormonal balancers as well, think of dandelion root when your moon brings painful cramping, bloating, and mood swings along with it.

-for men: dandelion can help with impotence when there is a loss in vitality

Dandelion holds a great message to humans and that is when something can be found in such great abundance it is really up to us to learn more about it instead of try to eradicate it. The reality is that resources are going to become more scarce in the years to come and it is going to become more difficult to obtain simple foods that we have become accustomed to buying in the grocery store.

If you have not already started thinking in terms of sustainability, dandelion is a great place to start. A safe, easy to locate and identify herb with lots of uses! Go eat some weeds, would ya!?