Discovering the "Lion's tooth" or Dandelion

Everything that grows in the garden have their own purpose for existing. There are lots of these in the lawn that others say should not be pulled from your plat since they can help repair the garden soil. Some of the more noticeable are dandelion, white clover, stinging nettle, purslane, melilot, knotgrass. etc.

One that really intrigued me was the Dandelion. By the way, the  name Dandelion  (taraxacum officinale), comes from medieval Arabic medical term, meaning, bitter herb or disturber. And from French words: dent de lion meaning, lion’s tooth, due to the tooth-like serration on its leaves.

 

The first time I saw a few of them growing within real grass made me think that they should not be in the lawn because we want a dense and pristine grass that is thick and vibrant. Therefore, dandelions are undesirable and  should be discarded.

 

However, before doing what I planned for the next few days, my eyes flickered seeing their golden-yellow flowers in bloom. Oh, my God! How can I be so cruel to destroy such a beauty made by you? So, I had to make an internet research for a second opinion.

 

From mister Google I learned that dandelions are a hardy perennial herbaceous plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae). It has long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves and jagged tooth-like lobes pointing backward toward the crown. Their golden-yellow flowers that occasionally fade to lighter yellow are tightly packed with up to 200 tiny individual ray florets. After blooming, the yellow head closes and matures into a spherical, white "puffball", made of dozens of seeds, each attached to a feathery, parachute-like structure called a pappus, designed to catch the wind. 

 

The leaves are edible and are highly nutrient dense, good source of fibre, calcium and potassium. They can also be included fresh in salads or sauteed and cooked in similar ways to spinach. They’re a good source of anti-oxidants, may help reduce cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and may boost immune system and reduce inflammation.

 

What more: The dandelion roots (that may grow 3 t0 15 feet into the ground), possess majority of its medicinal properties--the ability to support liver health, improve digestion and reduce water retention. It can also be roasted to make your caffeine-free coffee. 

 

Convinced of dandelion’s numerous benefits, I thought of not including it in my daily diet to satisfy my palate. 

 

Unfortunately, mister google revealed that consuming dandelions will do harm than good to oldies like me; because as a mild diuretic, dandelions contain high amounts of potassium and vitamin K. That means, it may negatively interact with the prescribed medicines for my high blood sugar and hypertension. 

 

Quite disappointed with such findings, I just consoled myself with the thought that anything in this world exists for specific purposes depending on God’s plans and provisions. 

 

Then another garden plant called comfrey, came to mind. As an organic gardener, David learned to use it as a green manure and liquid fertilizer for the other plants. Process he showed me was, soaking the leaves of the comfrey in a big container for about two weeks until they melt and become smelly liquid that can provide nutrients for the garden plants.

 

Comparing comfrey and dandelion, both plants have almost the same purpose for their existence as traditional medicines beneficial to human health. 

 

Conclusion: If comfrey can be something good for the garden, dandelion can also be one.  So, rather than disposing of the hard to control dandelion, I started adding it as another variety of liquid fertilizer for the vegetable garden.