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DANDELION Taraxacum
spp.
Description: Plant
Habitat: Fields,
"wasteland" gardens,
disturbed soil. Uses: Excellent salad green, cooked green, or potherb. Dandelion leaves are very nutritious, containing iron, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, Vitamins B & C & lots of Vitamin A. Dried leaves are used to make tea, & used medicinally as a diuretic, tonic & gentle laxative & "cleanser" for the liver, gall bladder, spleen, kidney & urinary tract. The roots are used as a coffee substitute, which is prepared from the dried, roasted, ground roots. Fine wine is made from the flower heads. The yellow flower heads make yellow dye for wool. Special Harvest or Processing Comments: Only large, well-formed roots are worth gathering, & so cultivation is the best way to assure uniform crop development. They may then be harvested by ploughing, like potatoes. One acre may yield 1,000 - 1,500 lbs. dried root in the second year. When the roots are gathered wild, they will be different ages & sizes & so must be sorted. Large roots (larger than a pencil) should be split, with the small side roots removed. Smaller roots are worthless. Before drying, the leaf bases must be removed to maintain high value. Fresh green leaves are gathered in spring & early summer & dried whole. |
