Taraxacum officinale: Uses (Ethnobotany)
The root was dried and roasted and used as a coffee alternative during the second world war. It has also been used medicinally.
Plant Profile: Taraxacum officinale
Taxonomy: Taraxacum officinaleNames
Dandelion, Lion's Tooth
Phonetic Spelling:ta-RAKS-uh-kum oh-fiss-ih-NAH-lee
Genus:Taraxacum
Species:officinale
Family:Asteraceae
Dandelions are a type of broadleaf perennial weed known for their rapid growth and ability to spread primarily through seeds. Once they take root, they are resistant to pre-emergent herbicides, making them difficult to control. While they are not typically found in residential gardens, these plants develop extensive taproots and produce a milky latex sap throughout their structure. The name "dandelion" is derived from the French term 'dent de lion,' which means "lion's tooth," a reference to the jagged edges of their vibrant green leaves.
Dandelions offer several beneficial characteristics, including:
Taraxacum officinale Feature Summary
Taraxacum officinale Image Gallery
Tags
#yellow
#edible plant
#weed
#wildlife plant
#weedy
#edible flowers
#nectar plant
#medicinal
#food source
#edible roots
#pollinator plant
#edible garden
#edible leaves
#edible
#perennial weed
Similar Plants
Taraxacum officinale is often confused with:
Taraxacum officinale Feature Summary
Attributes
The root was dried and roasted and used as a coffee alternative during the second world war. It has also been used medicinally.
Eurasia
Flowers provide nectar to pollinators and bees.
Leaves and flowers are used in salads and stir-fries as well as jams, wines, and teas. Young leaves are best for raw eating and older leaves are better cooked. Roots are roasted and used as a coffee alternative.
Perennial
Fruit
Fluffy downy round seeds heads are dispersed by wind
Achene
Brown/Copper
White
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Bright yellow ray flowers with toothed tips appear throughout the year on second-year plants. They are singular heads on their stems and the flowers close in the evening.
Gold/Yellow
Spring
more than 20 petals/rays
Radial
1-3 inches
Leaves
Deeply toothed, with backward-pointing teeth or lobes. Oblanceolate shape form a basal rosette.
Green
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Rosulate
Oblanceolate
Lobed
Dentate
3-6 inches
Edible
1-3 inches
Stem
Hollow stems are reproductive (scapes) exude a milky sap they are leafless and unbranched
Green
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Less than 12 inches
Landscape
Edible Garden
Mass Planting
Compaction
Lawn
Naturalized Area
Pollinators
Bees
Weedy
Taraxacum officinale Image Gallery
Taraxacum officinale Attributes
Taraxacum officinale: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eurasia
Taraxacum officinale: Wildlife Value
Flowers provide nectar to pollinators and bees.
Taraxacum officinale: Edibility
Leaves and flowers are used in salads and stir-fries as well as jams, wines, and teas. Young leaves are best for raw eating and older leaves are better cooked. Roots are roasted and used as a coffee alternative.
Taraxacum officinale: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Taraxacum officinale Fruit
Taraxacum officinale: Fruit Description
Fluffy downy round seeds heads are dispersed by wind
Taraxacum officinale: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Taraxacum officinale: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
White
Taraxacum officinale: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Taraxacum officinale: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Taraxacum officinale Flowers
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Description
Bright yellow ray flowers with toothed tips appear throughout the year on second-year plants. They are singular heads on their stems and the flowers close in the evening.
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Taraxacum officinale: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Taraxacum officinale Leaves
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Description
Deeply toothed, with backward-pointing teeth or lobes. Oblanceolate shape form a basal rosette.
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Color
Green
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Taraxacum officinale: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Taraxacum officinale: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Taraxacum officinale Stem
Taraxacum officinale: Stem Description
Hollow stems are reproductive (scapes) exude a milky sap they are leafless and unbranched
Taraxacum officinale: Stem Color
Green
Taraxacum officinale: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Taraxacum officinale Whole Plant Traits
Taraxacum officinale: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Taraxacum officinale: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Taraxacum officinale: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Taraxacum officinale Cultural Conditions
Taraxacum officinale: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Taraxacum officinale: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Taraxacum officinale Landscape
Taraxacum officinale: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Taraxacum officinale: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Taraxacum officinale: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Taraxacum officinale: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Taraxacum officinale: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Taraxacum officinale: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
