Whether you love them or hate them, dandelions are among the most familiar plants in the world. They’re one species that just about anyone can identify at a glance, and quite possibly the most successful plant that exists. Before the invention of lawns, people praised the golden blossoms as food and medicine. Gardeners often weeded out the grass to make room for the dandelions. Nowadays, they’re the most unpopular plant in the neighborhood, but it wasn’t always that way. Dandelions were world-famous for their beauty and were a common and beloved garden flower in Europe. Oddly enough, they were also considered a growing first-aid kit. People used dandelion tonics to help the body’s liver remove toxins from the bloodstream, and they were prescribed for every ailment from warts to the plague. They were also considered a tasty and nutritious food, containing more Vitamin A than spinach, more Vitamin C than tomatoes, and a powerhouse of iron, calcium and potassium. Some natural food stores even sell dried dandelion roots as a decaffeinated coffee substitute, but it’s not cheap. A pound will set you back $31.75. Dandelions will probably never be seen as more than a weed, but maybe we can learn to be more at ease with them.
