Editorial: Give Dandelions A Chance

Hundreds of potential salads are waiting for us. In our public parks, in our backyards, and probably right beneath the windows of this classroom. You all know the flower: Taraxacum officinale, or the common dandelion. Yet familiar as they are, I know many people who strongly dislike dandelions. They classify the flower as a weed. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a ‘weed’ is:” A[n] herbaceous plant not valued for use or beauty, growing wild and rank, and regarded as cumbering the ground or hindering the growth of superior vegetation.”

While it’s definitely true that dandelions are widespread and grow wildly, I would like to remind everyone that they are strikingly beautiful, fragrant, and soft. Dandelions’ classification as a weed rests mainly on the biology of their growth pattern, which leads them to open/disturbed soil, which is usually found in areas inhabited by people.

The negative attitude towards dandelions is actually very recent, arising in the 20th century. The ancient Greeks ate dandelions, and the flower was used in traditional Chinese medicine. In Medieval Europe, people loved dandelions and removed grass from their lawns to give the room to grow. The pilgrims brought dandelions to America on the Mayflower; likely as a foodstuff and medicine.

The dandelion’s rumored medicinal benefits have recently been proven by numerous modern scientific studies. The plant has many nutrients, and the leaves are full of antioxidants which help protect the cardiovascular system. Most notably, dandelions helped the liver function, reduced insulin levels, and stimulated fat metabolization in mice.

In Europe, dandelions were prescribed for almost all ailments as a kind of catch-all. The plant was so popular because of its commonality, and gentle chemical nature. In short, it acts as a diuretic to clear the body of toxins, provides nourishment, and helps the digestive system function efficiently. In fact, dandelions have more nutrition than many common garden vegetables; more vitamin A than spinach, more vitamin C than tomatoes. The range of ailments they are reported to have cured is astonishing; dandruff, baldness, sores, toothache, fevers, rotting gums, lethargy, weakness, and depression. It was only in the 20th century that people discovered the underlying cause of much of these problems: vitamin deficiencies.

Now that we know the dandelion has practical benefits, why did attitudes about their character change so suddenly? Originally, dandelions were praised for their beauty, and there are hundreds of folk traditions and myths involving the puffy seeds. In Europe people used to write poems for the flower. The “war on dandelions” came with the rise in popularity of a closely cropped, uniformly green front lawn, often used as a status symbol. The practice of lawn maintenance has its roots with the aristocracy, who used to be the only people rich enough to pay someone else to clear their yard with a scythe. After World War II and with the rise of the suburbs, many Americans were moving into their own homes, with their own yards. Naturally they wanted to impress their neighbors, and lawns seemed to be the way to go.

Unfortunately, dandelions are attracted to areas with open or recently disturbed soil – almost the definition of a lawn. They are tough plants which grow quickly, produce a lot of seeds, are impossible to get rid of, and largely got in the way of the perfect lawn or flowerscape. I think the dandelion’s interference with lawns and landscaping in general is largely what got them such a negative reputation.
Nevertheless, I really appreciate dandelions and think we should re-evaluate our stance on them. Just because they are common doesn't make them any less wonderful -- take the sun, for example. Dandelions are gorgeous flowers just as much as the rose, and they don't even have thorns. Besides their beauty, dandelions can have medicinal benefits, and who isn't up for free salad? Think it over.