Dandelions

Dandelion

Most often thought of as an annoying, hard to kill weed, the dandelion is actually extremely beneficial when eaten. In the Spring I’m am often found picking and eating the dandelion heads from my yard.

Parts used- flower, stem, leaves, root
Flowers- in wine, as a yellow dye, eaten raw, sautéed, fried.
Leaves- use in salads, in tea. The young leaves are less bitter than older one.
Roots- use as a coffee substitute, as a magenta dye.

Medicinal-
The Flowers are good for your heart and your liver. In fact, if you have liver problems this is the best thing for you and if you don’t, it could save you some trouble down the line. It’s also good for cleansing and building healthy blood.
The Leaves are used as a mild laxative, to promote bowel regularity and for UTI’s.
The Roots are used as a diuretic or for treatment in the gall bladder, liver and other digestive ailments. They’re good for heartburn and are beneficial to the female reproductive organs. The roots increase spleen, pancreas and liver activity and promotes the formation of bile. They’re also wonderful for stomach aches and upsets.

Nutritional-
Vitamins A and C, Iron (leaves), Calcium, Sodium, Vegetable Protein

Magical- (from Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs)
The seed heads are used in divination and wish making. The roots, made into a tea, promote psychic powers and the tea is used for spirit calling when placed beside the bed.
Gender- Masculine
Planet- Jupiter
Element- Air
Deity- Hecate

From time to time I will be posting information on various plants, herbs, etc. As with anything taken medicinally, you should contact your doctor first to make sure it is safe for you.
If you think you have an allergy to any of the herbs, plants, etc that I talk about you should stop using it immediately and contact your doctor.
If you are eating anything that you are picking or harvesting yourself make sure that you are properly identifying the plant. Many plants look very similar and are hard to identify. Make sure that you are not eating plants that are growing by the side of the road (car exhaust and road dust is not healthy), near a swimming pool (chlorine can splash onto the plants), where you think an animal has defecated or urinated or anywhere else that is subject to fertilizers, weed killers or any other chemicals.

Photo in this blog c/o of my daughter Mariah K. Copyright 2011.