Interesting Dandelion Facts

This article highlights some interesting dandelion facts.

The botanical name of the dandelion plant is Taraxacum officinal and it is also known by other names like blow ball, pissenlit, lion's tooth, swine snout, yellow gowan, cankerwort, wild endive, puff ball and diente de león in Spanish.

"Taraxacum" is derived from a Greek word, which gives a meaning of altering or stirring up; this is in reference to the health properties of dandelion. The second word, "officinal", used to be attached to the names of all herbs which were officially recognized.

Certain species of dandelion plants produce seeds asexually by a process called apomixis, where seeds of the plant are produced without the process of pollination. This also results in younger plants that have similar genetic pattern as the parent plant.

Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. On a breezy day, a really strong wind can transport these tiny parachutes miles away from the parent dandelion plant.

The dandelion herb grows up to a height of about 12-14 inches with spatula-like leaves.

Here is an interesting dandelion fact - dandelion leaves are long and have sharp edges and this tooth like appearance of the leaves gives it the name Dent-de-lion which translates to lion's tooth in old French.

The Germans are said to call dandelion "Lowenzahn", which also means lion's tooth.

Dandelion flowers are photosensitive; they bloom under the morning sun and close in the evening or in dull, gloomy conditions.

Dandelion roots are brown in color and are extremely fleshy since they are consist of a white liquid or sap which is bitter in taste.

The entire dandelion plant along with its various parts including the roots, leaves, flowers, and stem are used to treat various health conditions. The root, however, is considered a whole lot more useful when compared to the rest of the dandelion plant.

An amusing dandelion fact - the French name for dandelion is "pis-en-lit" meaning wet-your-bed, so the French discourage young children from eating dandelion salads with their evening meal!

Like the coconut tree, every single plant part of dandelion is extremely useful. The roots, leaves, flowers, and stem are used either for medicinal or culinary purposes.

Dandelion is grown as a crop in Belgium.

It is considered against the law to cultivate dandelion within the city limits of Pueblo, Colorado.

Here is a dandelion fact regarding wildlife - animals like deer, rabbits, elks, grizzles and chipmunks enjoy eating dandelion plants while some birds like geese and ducks eat the dandelion flower and seed heads.

All in all, the dandelion herb is extremely useful for treating various health conditions and ailments and is really simple and easy to grow. Nature has truly blessed the dandelion with all its abundance, but as human beings, we must learn to use it but not abuse it.

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