The First Dandelion  

“Simple and fresh and fair from winter’s close emerging, 
As if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever been, 
Forth from its sunny nook of shelter’d grass—innocent, golden, calm as the dawn, 
The spring’s first dandelion shows its trustful face. 

Walt Whitman 

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are a harbinger of warming earth and brighter days, and a familiar dight to most Canadians.  

A member of the genus of plants that are part of the large Asteraceae family, dandelions Latin name Taraxacum, comes from the Arabic word for “bitter herb” while the English “dandelion” is borrowed from the French “dent de lion” – or lion’s tooth! While in French “pissenlit” references dandelion’s diuretic effects.  

Distribution: 

Originally, dandelions are native to Eurasia and are adaptable to a wide variety of growing conditions of moisture, soil and space. 

Today, it grows all around the world (known as a “cosmopolitan distribution”), aside from polar and tropical regions. 

Common Names: 

Lion's tooth, Blowball, Cankerwort, Pee-a-bed, Irish daisy, Clockflower, Swine's snout. Dandelions are sometimes called “fairy clocks” for the predictable rhythms in which the blossoms open and close. 

Active Compounds:  

Flavonoids, triterpenes, phenolic acids, sterols, glycosides, volatile oils and saccharides. 

Main Therapeutic Uses:

Root, leaves and flowers are all edible in the dandelion! There are records of medicinal applications for dandelion plants reaching back centuries in traditional healing traditions.  The leaves and root are the most often used therapeutically and they are rich in antioxidants, fibre, vitamins A, C and K.  

With its long taproot, dandelion plants reach deep into the soil – helping to aerate it as well as draw nutrients from deep in the earth and returning them to topsoil when they decompose – supporting healthy soil structure and fertility.  

Therapeutically, the root has been used traditional to support digestion and urinary health, as well as help protect the liver. It is also helpful in the supporting the body’s natural detoxication and elimination.  

The leaves of the dandelion, with their trademark sawtooth edges also offer support for the liver and kidneys.  

Dandelion also provides general anti-inflammatory and antibacterial actions and is being researched for it potential use in treatment of blood sugar issues, managing healthy blood lipids and applications for antiplatelet activity. 

Dandelion gets a bad rap as a lawn and garden “weed” that fastidious lawn-owners strive to eliminate – but dandelions are a vital source of food for many pollinators 

Symbolism and folklore:

Hope, youth, resistance, transformation and divination – many generations children have blown on the spherical seed heads, casting their seeds far and wide while making a wish. 

In Victorian flower language, dandelions represent love. In medieval times, dandelions were emblems of the sun, and wearing them could attract wealth and prosperity 

Dandelions on St. Francis Herb Farm: 

Dandelions have had a bum rap for the past century, simply due to their appearance in turf and yards. Oh, the shame of it! The extreme lengths to which humans have worked to eradicate this helpful and harmless plant can make an herbalist chuckle and shake their head in disbelief. It is a relief that a shift of consciousness has minimized the need for the killing of these ‘noxious weeds’ with poison, digging and burning! 

Reflecting on the synergy of plants with other living things - plants tend to appear and grow where they will meet the needs of a species or region. Perhaps dandelion is one such herb – an offering that silently seeds itself for the benefit of the environment and the creatures that are sustained and healed by their consumption.  

Our registered Bee Keeper, Lisa Murray ND, uses the first dandelion blooms to prompt the unwrapping of the winter covering on her bee hives – by tuning into nature’s signals, rhythms and synergies we are guided by the seasonal cues from a dandelion.     

Considered an edible delicacy, dandelion provides rich nutrition and a delicate bitter to our palette. The early brilliant yellow blooms attract native pollinators to our farm and help sustain our bees with high octane nectars and pollen. Their roots plunge deep into the soil, accessing sub-soil nutrients to benefit the fields while producing potent herbal properties.  

Timing of seed harvest is a constant plight– once the fluffy flower heads have developed, a slight breeze can carry the seeds off for their own adventure!  

The whole dandelion plant is harvested for fresh processing to capture a full spectrum of the herb. Each part of the plants holds unique healing and tonic properties – together they yield a powerful plant medicine!” 

St Francis Products Containing Dandelion: