Episode 58: Cloned Colonies & Diuretic Delicacies - Dandelion
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of rooted! This week we’re talking about one of north america’s best known and most divisive weeds- dandelion.
Dandelion or Taraxacum is a member of the aster family- with famous family members like daisies, sunflowers, and so many more! Originally native to europe and north america, they have since spread pretty much everywhere with a temperate climate and really any kind of soil- they aren’t picky.
These guys are probably best known for their blooms, which start as tight buds that burst open into bright, rich yellow blossoms that produce a TON of nectar and pollen- making them an early-blooming favorite for our pollinating pals.
In the summer, those fluorescent flowers transform into bright white puffballs loaded up with seeds, which the wind scatters far and wide to start the processes over again. As a fun fact- these guys produce asexually, so they are actually just sending little clones of themselves all over the place.
While the flowers are the most identifiable, there are a few different varieties and look alikes. True dadelinos have green leaves with a toothed edge (which is actually how they get their names), and their leaves and stems are typically hairless. Some varieties can get as tall as about 1 foot, with thick, hearty taproots that keep these guys coming back year after year.
Dandelions are invasive weeds, but they can still support early pollinators, and all parts of them ARE edible, so they aren’t all bad news.
Plus, there are so many varieties (over 235 in the british isles alone) and look alikes that lots of people LOVE them- so much so that they have their own area of study- taraxacology… if I had heard that before I researching for this episode, I absolutely would have assumed it was something dinosaur related. They can also help transform dead, compacted soil because of their deep taproots, and ability to attract earthworms to help get the soil going again.
But these fluffy fiends don’t just pop up in gardens and sidewalk cracks, they also pop up an AWFUL lot in folklore.
Probably the best known of all of these is the idea that dandelion’s seeds can grant wishes. Some say blowing all the seeds in one go will grant whatever your heart truly wishes for. Others say blowing them in the direction of a loved one while you think of a message to them will make you cross their mind.
Others are slightly less optimistic- saying the amount of seeds left on the stem are the number of years you have left to live….that one is kind of a bummer.
In other stories, holding a blossom under your chin, or under your plate, is said to determine if you’re growing to grow up to be rich, and the tallest stalk you find as a child is said to be how many more inches you’ll grow that year.
In another weird twist, an old wives tale said that kids who smelled a dandelion on may 1st (today for all you parents listening the day this comes out) wouldn’t wet the bed for a WHOLE YEAR- hip hip hooray..
Aside from just granting wishes and helping you do less laundry, dandelions are also said to be symbols of luck in love. They were woven into wedding bouquets to symbolize the bright future ahead for the happy couple, while they were also rumored to tell how many children a woman would have, with the number of seeds left behind being the number of children she should expect to have.
In our favorite victorian method of cryptic passive aggression, dandelions symbolize young, bright, and undying love, and a marriage that will bring prosperity and fertility.
In witchcraft, Dandelions are said to bring change and the ability to move on. Often they are used to also help with entering transitive states and potentially even lucid dreaming when taken in the form of a tea. Many believe that using dandelions in spells can bring in and support healing energy, and make the path to move forward in prosperity more clear.
In medicine. Dandelions have been called on for centuries to help with all kinds of ailments.
Like we have already sort of touched on, they were primarily used as a kidney flush due to their strong diuretic properties. So much so that they have been nicknamed “piss a beds”
We’re pretty sure that the reason that dandelion leaves are so good a this is because of their high potassium content. Potassium has hepatoprotective effects with decreased serum levels of ALT, hepatic TG, and MDA….in non-science terms, potassium blocks some of the things in the liver and kidneys that help the body to absorb things, which means that instead of the body trying to really suck up all the nutrients, it just lets them all go.
This can be useful in times when you are trying to get rid of bacteria and get rid of extra water.
In addition to being a diuretic, dandelions can also help fight inflammation and aid in digestion.
Interestingly, the latex in the stems of the dandelions is also said to be effective in the treatment of warts, seemingly because it blocks the wart from getting airflow and creates an environment for the skin to heal..kind of like a pimple patch, but for warts.
On that super appetizing note, lets talk about all the ways dandelions can be used in foods.
Like we talked about earlier, all parts of the plant are edible.
In the early spring and summer, you can pick the early buds and pickle them to make a substitute for capers.
In better known options, these brilliant blooms can be sed to make wine, jelly, and in a popular soda known as dandelion and burdock.
This soda is based on a medieval recipe that involves chopping up dandelion and burdock roots, which are said to have a kind of bitter, earthy, rootbeer ish taste, which was often drunk after meals to help aid in digestion.
The roots are also used as a acoffee substitute due to their bitter flavor- the roots are roasted and dried, then ground up and brewed the exact same way you would brew coffee or a really strong tea.
Dandelion wine and jelly are both made from the flowers of dandelion, and are said to have a delicate and complex flavor that is both lightly sweet, rich, and slightly bitter.
In non-food news, apparently you can also use the latex to make rubber bands by just kind of tracing it out and then letting them dry…no news on if that really works, but if you have tried it, or have enough dandelions on hand to try it, please keep me posted!
Next time you see a patch of these delightful little clones, I hope you take a second to really appreciate them, and maybe even take a few to try as a little snack.
That’s all I’ve got for this week, but I’ll be back next week with another plant for us to dig into!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum
https://thepracticalherbalist.com/advanced-herbalism/dandelion-history-folklore-myth-and-magic/
https://www.icysedgwick.com/dandelions-folklore/
https://www.learnreligions.com/dandelion-magic-and-folklore-4588986
https://changinglifestyleblog.uk/2011/04/12/dandelion-myths-legends-and-folklore/
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/dandelion
