A detailed guide to growing gardenias, let their fragrance fill your home

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

How to grow gardenias, let their fragrance fill your home

Summer is here, and it is once again the season when gardenias bloom in profusion. The rich fragrance of gardenias is loved by many people. So how do you grow gardenias? Today, the editor will take everyone through the methods for growing gardenias.

The environment for growing gardenias

   Gardenias prefer a warm, humid environment with plenty of light and good ventilation, but they dislike intense direct sun. They do best in slightly shaded spots, yet they still need to maintain 60% of full-day light to meet their growth needs. They tolerate partial shade, fear waterlogging, and are relatively cold-hardy. Besides normal watering, you should often spray the leaves and nearby ground with clean water to appropriately raise air humidity.

The soil for growing gardenias

   Soil is the most fundamental factor. Many people know that gardenias are a typical acid-loving flower, while the soil and water in the north are alkaline, so northern growers had best not use garden soil for gardenias. You can mix your own soil, or choose a special nutrient soil.

Watering gardenias
   For watering, you can use rainwater or fermented rice-washing water; if using tap water, let it sit for 2 to 3 days before use. This kind of water can both prevent the soil from becoming alkaline and supplement the iron in the soil, which not only prevents leaves from turning yellow but also makes the leaves glossy green and the flowers larger. Rainwater is naturally a good thing, so those who can should collect rainwater.

Fertilizer for growing gardenias

   Gardenias are best fertilized with rotted soybean cake, sesame paste residue, peanut bran and similar fertilizers, which become acidic after fermentation and decomposition, but you must apply thin fertilizer frequently. Do not use concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer, and do not fertilize during the winter dormancy period. After entering the peak growing season in April, you can apply a top dressing once every half month (when fertilizing, it is best to dilute with more water to prevent burning the flowers). For plants grown less than three years, remember never to apply human waste.

Pruning gardenias

   Gardenias have strong sprouting ability and easily develop overlapping branches that become too dense for ventilation and disperse nutrients. When shaping, select and keep three main branches according to the tree form, and promptly cut off other branches sprouting from root suckers. After the flowers fade, the branches should be cut back promptly to encourage new shoots to sprout below the cut. When the new shoots grow three nodes, pinch off the tips to prevent blind growth.

Conclusion:The above is the guide to growing gardenias compiled by the editor. Gardenias planted according to the above methods will surely bloom with exceptional beauty, spreading fragrance everywhere and filling our homes with their scent. For more home improvement information, please log in to Aiyouwo Home Improvement Network.

How to grow gardenias, let their fragrance fill your home

Dandelion Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz. Dandelion illustrated guide: how to grow dandelions / how dandelions reproduce

Dandelion profile
Dandelion Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.
Aliases: Pu Gong Cao, edible dandelion, bed-wetting grass, Western dandelion, golden hairpin grass, yellow-flowered earth nail, po po ding, Hua Hua Lang
Classification: perennial herbaceous flower
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Asterales, Asteraceae, Taraxacum
Full bloom period: spring and summer
Dandelion is also known as yellow-flowered earth nail, po po ding, Hua Hua Lang and so on. Dandelion belongs to the Asteraceae family and the genus Taraxacum, and is a perennial herbaceous plant. The root is conical, brown on the surface, wrinkled; the leaf edges sometimes have wavy teeth or pinnate deep lobes; the base gradually narrows into a petiole; the petiole and main vein often carry a reddish-purple color; the upper part of the scape is purplish-red and densely covered with cobweb-like white long soft hairs; the capitulum has a bell-shaped involucre, the achene is dark brown, and the long pappus is white. The dandelion has a capitulum, and the seeds bear a fluffy ball formed by white pappus; after the flower opens, it drifts with the wind to a new place to nurture new life. It is said that whoever finds a purple dandelion will gain perfect love. In the dandelion plant...

The growing methods and precautions for dandelions, an introduction to dandelions
Dandelion is also known as yellow-flowered earth nail, po po ding, Hua Hua Lang and so on. Dandelion belongs to the Asteraceae family and the genus Taraxacum, and is a perennial herbaceous plant. The root is conical, brown on the surface, wrinkled; the leaf edges sometimes have wavy teeth or pinnate deep lobes; the base gradually narrows into a petiole; the petiole and main vein often carry a reddish-purple color; the upper part of the scape is purplish-red and densely covered with cobweb-like white long soft hairs; the capitulum has a bell-shaped involucre, the achene is dark brown, and the long pappus is white.
The dandelion has a capitulum, and the seeds bear a fluffy ball formed by white pappus; after the flower opens, it drifts with the wind to a new place to nurture new life. It is said that whoever finds a purple dandelion will gain perfect love.
The dandelion plant contains various healthful nutrients such as taraxol, taraxacin, choline, organic acids and inulin. It has diuretic, laxative, jaundice-relieving and cholagogue effects. Dandelion can be eaten raw, stir-fried, or made into soup, and is a plant used both as medicine and food.
The dandelion flowering period is April to September, and the fruiting period is May to October.

The morphological characteristics of dandelion
The original dandelion plant is a perennial herb. The root is cylindrical, blackish-brown, and thick. The leaves are obovate-lanceolate, oblanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 4-20 cm long, dandelion 1-5 cm wide, with a blunt or acute tip; the edges sometimes have wavy teeth or pinnate deep lobes, sometimes runcinate pinnate deep lobes or lyrately pinnate deep lobes; the terminal lobe is larger, triangular or triangular-hastate, entire or toothed; each side has 3-5 lobes; the lobes are triangular or triangular-lanceolate, usually toothed, flat or recurved; small teeth are often interspersed between the lobes; the base gradually narrows into a petiole; the petiole and main vein often carry a reddish-purple color, sparsely covered with cobweb-like white soft hairs or nearly hairless.
The dandelion has 1 to several scapes, equal to or slightly longer than the leaves, 10-25 cm tall, containing white milky juice; the upper part is purplish-red, densely covered with cobweb-like white long soft hairs; the capitulum is about 30-40 mm in diameter; the involucre is bell-shaped, 12-14 mm long, pale green; the involucral bracts are in 2-3 layers; the outer involucral bracts are ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 8-10 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, with a broadly membranous margin, pale green at the base, purplish-red above, with the tip thickened or bearing small to medium horn-like protuberances; the inner involucral bracts are linear-lanceolate, 10-16 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, purplish-red at the tip, with small horn-like protuberances; the ligulate flowers are yellow, the ligule about 8 mm long, about 1.5 mm wide, the backs of the marginal ligules bearing purplish-red stripes, and the anthers and stigma dark green.
The dandelion achene is obovate-lanceolate, dark brown, about 4-5 mm long, about 1-1.5 mm wide, with small spines above and rows of small tubercles below; the tip gradually contracts into a conical to cylindrical beak base about 1 mm long, and the beak is 6-10 mm long and slender; the pappus is white, about 6 mm long.
Dandelion belongs to the Asteraceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. It has a capitulum, and the seeds bear a fluffy ball formed by white pappus; after the flower opens, it drifts with the wind to a new place to nurture new life. The dried root is somewhat conical, curved, 4-10 cm long, brown on the surface, wrinkled; the root head has brown or yellowish-white hairs, or they have already fallen off. The leaves are wrinkled into clumps, or into curled strips. The outer surface is greenish-brown or dark grayish-green, and the main vein on the underside of the leaf is obvious. Sometimes there are incomplete capitula. The odor is slight, and the taste is slightly bitter. Those with many leaves, a grayish-green color, intact roots and no impurities are considered the best.
The dandelion flowering period is April-September, and the fruiting period is May-October.

The ecological habits of dandelion
Although dandelion is not strict about soil conditions, it still prefers fertile, moist, loose soil with high organic matter content.
Dandelion has very strong disease and pest resistance, and generally does not need disease and pest control. It grows widely on hillside grasslands, roadsides, fields and riverbanks in low- and mid-altitude areas.

The cultivation techniques of dandelion, the production techniques of pollution-free dandelion
Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. Dandelion body bud vegetables refer to sprout vegetables directly cultivated in a suitable growing environment using the fleshy taproot, the nutrient storage organ of dandelion. Dandelion has very high nutritional and medical health value. The body bud vegetables produced from its fleshy taproot are fresh, rich in nutrients and pollution-free, and are of great significance for advancing the adjustment of the rural industrial structure and increasing farmers' income.
1. Seed collection
Collect wild dandelion seeds at 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning from late May to early June. When collecting seeds, choose dandelions with thick leaves, abundant juice and green color, deeper serrations and sturdy rhizomes as seed plants. Cut off the inflorescences whose receptacles have turned yellow, place them indoors to after-ripen for 1 day, wait until the inflorescences have all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days, rub off the pappus with your hands, and dry them in the sun for later use. For dandelion seed retention and collection, it is best to have a fixed seed plot.
2. Cultivation of fleshy taproots
The taproots used for producing body bud vegetables can be collected directly in the wild. Although this is relatively economical, the taproots are not plump, so artificial cultivation is recommended.
1. Field selection and pre-sowing preparation
Choose a plot with a deep plow layer, flat terrain, convenient irrigation and drainage, and no major pollution sources for planting. After the autumn harvest, clean the field and, in combination with plowing and land preparation, apply 4000-5000 kg of thoroughly decomposed high-quality farmyard manure per mu. After the soil thaws the following year, make beds 1.2 m wide and wait for sowing.
2. Sowing
Begin sowing when the soil temperature reaches above 10°C. Open shallow furrows 2-3 cm deep in the bed, with a furrow spacing of 10 cm and a width of 10 cm, firm them and water thoroughly, mix the seeds with fine sand evenly, broadcast them in the furrows, cover with 2-3 cm of soil, and finally insert bamboo hoops on both sides of the bed and cover with plastic film to maintain the most suitable temperature and humidity for dandelion germination.
3. Seedling-stage management
Seedlings emerge 9-12 days after sowing. After the seedlings have all emerged, remove the film and water and cultivate and weed in time. At the 2-3 true-leaf stage and the 5-6 and 7-9 true-leaf stages, thin the seedlings 3 times in combination with cultivation and weeding (the thinned seedlings can be sold), and at the last thinning select strong seedlings and set them at a plant spacing of 5 cm and a row spacing of 10 cm. After thinning and setting, timely watering is generally required. Immediately after setting the seedlings, apply decomposed and disinfected human waste as a top dressing along with the water.
4. Seedling hardening and field management
Do not water for a period after the rosette stage, until the fleshy root enters the rapid swelling stage. In addition to removing weeds, field management is mainly water management, and the soil should be kept moist frequently. Organic fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing according to the plant growth condition. Do not harvest leaves in the sowing year, in order to promote thick and large fleshy roots and facilitate the production of high-quality bud vegetables in early spring the following year. Once diseases and pests occur, choose pesticides that are efficient, low-toxicity and residue-free.
5. Harvest and storage of fleshy roots
The harvest of fleshy roots should be completed at the latest before freezing. Sort the dug root plants, remove old leaves, and retain the complete root system and terminal buds. Choose a shaded plot and dig a storage cellar 1-1.2 m wide and 1.5 m deep (extending east-west). Place the fleshy roots in the cellar, stack them well, with a height not exceeding 50 cm. In the early storage period, prevent excessively high temperatures from causing the fleshy roots to rot or sprout, and in the later period prevent freezing. The key to high yield in this technique is cultivating thick, plump and substantial fleshy roots, and storing them reasonably in winter so that nutrient consumption is low.
3. Techniques for forcing dandelion fleshy roots
Choose protected facilities that can stably maintain a temperature of 8-25°C. Inside the facility, make a cultivation bed with a bed soil thickness of 40-50 cm; use clean soil or river sand, etc., as the cultivation substrate; finally disinfect the facility with a fumigant. Before forcing, take the fleshy roots out of the storage cellar one day in advance and dry them in the shade. Grade them by length, then bury them row by row according to grade, with a burying spacing of 2-3 cm, and bury them to a depth that exposes the root growth point, keeping the arrangement neat. After burying, water thoroughly immediately, and 2-3 days later set up a small arch shed and cover with black film. After forcing, generally keep the bed temperature at 15-20°C and control humidity at 60%-75%. When the leaves reach 10-15 cm, break them off by hand or cut them with a knife, taking care to protect the growth point. Harvesting should generally be done in the early morning. After the bud vegetables are cleaned, graded and packaged, put them into a cold storage promptly or transport them to the market for sale. To extend the market supply period, forcing can be done in batches.

Cultivation of dandelion in greenhouses
Dandelion is a wild vegetable deeply loved by the public. Under wild conditions, the yield of dandelion is not high, but after introduction and cultivation it can achieve high and stable yields and obtain relatively high economic benefits.
Field selection and sowing. Dandelion seeds can be sown in the same year after collection. The suitable germination temperature for the seeds is 15-20°C. At present, the method of summer sowing and autumn planting is adopted. Choose a fertile, moist, sunny sandy loam plot, water thoroughly before sowing, and apply sufficient base fertilizer, generally 30,000-50,000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure and 300 kg of superphosphate per mu. Deep plow, level and rake fine, and make beds 1.2 m wide. Evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface, then cover with about 0.3-0.5 cm of soil. For small-area sowing, seedling trays can be used to raise seedlings.
Management after planting. After planting, do not water under normal circumstances before new leaves grow; if the soil is dry, water with a spray bottle. After new leaves grow, water according to the soil moisture condition, with the bed surface slightly dry on top and moist below as suitable. At the same time, begin loosening the soil and forming ridges, and replant missing seedlings in time. Do not water within 2-3 weeks after planting to prevent root rot. On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, generally do not apply chemical fertilizer during the growth of dandelion, so as to ensure the quality of dandelion. For greenhouse cultivation of dandelion, water the bed surface thoroughly before winter, and it is best to cover the ground surface with horse manure or wheat straw, etc., to facilitate heat preservation and moisture retention. Cover the greenhouse in late autumn and early winter of that year, or cover the greenhouse in mid-to-late March of the following early spring to promote early germination, and promptly remove the ground cover, water and loosen the soil. If in a greenhouse, keep the temperature above 10°C and the dandelion plants can grow normally; when the plants grow to a suitable size, they can be harvested for market.
Harvesting and seed retention. Use a hook knife or small knife to dig, cutting parallel at 1-1.5 cm along the ground surface, retaining the underground roots so they can grow new shoots. Harvest the large plants first and leave the small plants to continue growing. The number of flowers per dandelion plant increases with the number of growth years, so seed retention requires a dedicated seed field. Choose robust plants with thick leaves, abundant juice and green color, sturdy rhizomes and no pests or diseases for seed retention on the spot. From late May to early June, when the flower disk turns yellow-green and the seeds change from milky white to brown, it indicates the seeds are mature. To prevent the seeds from falling off, harvest in stages. Pick the flowers, store them indoors for 2 days, wait until the flower disk has all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days; when the seeds are half-dry, rub off the fluff at the top of the seeds with your hands, and dry them in the sun for later use.

Cultivation techniques for French thick-leaf dandelion
French thick-leaf dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family and the genus Taraxacum. It is a new high-yield variety introduced from France by Chinese agricultural technicians and used both as medicine and vegetable. Its production performance and biological yield are 8-10 times those of China's wild dandelion. The comprehensive benefit reaches more than 6000 yuan per mu. The techniques for growing French thick-leaf dandelion in China are summarized below for readers' reference.
1. Land preparation and fertilization. Choose loose, fertile, moist, well-drained sandy loam for planting. Apply 4500-5000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, mixed with 15 kg of superphosphate, and evenly scatter it on the ground. Deep plow 20-25 cm, level and rake fine, and make beds 10-20 m long and 1.2-1.5 m wide for sowing.
2. Sowing. Dandelion is propagated by seeds and division
The seeds have no dormancy period and can be sown at any time from spring to autumn. According to market demand, they can also be sown in greenhouses in winter. Open-field direct sowing can be done in drills or broadcast. For drilling, first open shallow horizontal furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 25-30 cm, with a sowing width of about 10 cm. After the seeds are sown, cover with 1 cm of soil, then press lightly. The sowing rate is 50 g per mu. For flat-bed broadcasting, use 50-100 g of seed per mu. After sowing, cover with grass to keep warm and moist, and remove the covering grass when the seedlings emerge. Seedlings can emerge in about 10 days.
3. Cultivation, weeding and thinning
About 10 days after dandelion emergence, carry out the first cultivation and weeding, and thereafter cultivate and weed about once every 10 days until the rows close; after the rows close, weeds can be pulled by hand. Thin the seedlings about 10 days after emergence at a plant spacing of 8-10 cm. After 20-30 days, the seedlings can be set at a row spacing of 30 cm, a plant spacing of 20-25 cm, and a plant spacing of 15 cm for broadcast sowing.
4. Fertilizer and water management
The focus of dandelion field management is fertilizer and water. Dandelion likes fertile, moist, loose soil with high organic matter content. Therefore, when growing dandelion, in addition to reasonably applying base fertilizer, apply top dressing 1-2 times during the growth period, each time applying 10-14 kg of urea and 5-6 kg of monopotassium phosphate per mu. Water frequently to keep the soil moist. For autumn-sown plants, after winter begins, scatter 2500 kg of organic fertilizer and 20 kg of superphosphate per mu on the bed surface, which both provides nutrients and protects the roots for safe overwintering. After greening up the following spring, chemical fertilizer can be applied together with watering (10-15 kg of urea and 8 kg of superphosphate per mu). To bring them to market earlier, cover with a small arch shed in early spring.
5. Disease and pest control
Dandelion has extremely strong disease resistance. Common diseases mainly include downy mildew and aphids. For downy mildew, use 72% Kelu or Kemaiqing or Kekangling wettable powder at 800 times dilution, or 69% Anke Manganese Zinc wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, or spray 300 g of 5% chlorothalonil powder per mu, or spray with 25% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 500 times dilution. Stop using the drug 10 days before harvest. For aphids, use 50% pirimicarb wettable powder or water-dispersible granules at 2000-3000 times dilution; this drug has a special effect on aphids. You can also spray with 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate or 20% diazinon emulsifiable concentrate, 21% miebi emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution, or 70% meniazusong wettable powder at 2500 times dilution.
6. Harvesting
For dandelion harvesting, you can pick the outer large leaves in batches, or use a sickle to cut the leaves other than the heart leaves, cutting once every 15-20 days. You can also cut the whole plant at once for market; generally 500-600 kg can be harvested per mu each time. After the whole dandelion plant is cut, the roots are damaged and exude white sap; do not water during this period to prevent root rot. When dandelion is used as Chinese medicinal material, the whole plant with roots can be dug in late autumn, cleaned of mud and dried in the sun for medicinal use. When used as a vegetable, its tender seedlings or tender leaves can be harvested. The time for collecting dandelion seeds is from late May to early June. When collecting seeds, choose dandelions with thick leaves, abundant juice and green color, deeper serrations and sturdy rhizomes as seed plants. Cut off the inflorescences whose receptacles have turned yellow, place them indoors to after-ripen for 1 day, wait until the inflorescences have all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days, rub off the pappus with your hands, and dry them in the sun for later use. Because the longer dandelion plants grow, the higher the yield, it is best to have a fixed seed plot for seed retention and collection.

Cultivation of dandelion in solar greenhouses
1. Land preparation: In late October, apply high-quality decomposed farmyard manure in the solar greenhouse, turn the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm, rake level, and make small low beds running north-south, with a bed width of 1.2 m and a bed ridge height of 5 cm. The bed surface should be higher in the north and lower in the south (a drop of 10 cm) to facilitate light exposure and watering.
2. Sowing: Sow in early November. The seeds are very small. When sowing, pinch up a small amount of seeds and toss them high into the air so they fall naturally and evenly onto the bed surface.
Dry sowing and wet emergence. After sowing is completed, water. Watering should be done by spraying, with the nozzle pointing upward, falling evenly like a fine drizzle. Spray back and forth; do not use too much water on the bed surface, to avoid the seeds drifting because they are not fixed on the surface. Three days after watering, scatter sieved fine soil 0.3 cm thick on the bed surface, then spray a small amount of water. Do not water heavily before the seedlings emerge.
Keep the temperature in the greenhouse at 15-30°C, and take good heat preservation measures. It is about 10 days from sowing to emergence. Besides direct sowing, mother roots can also be dug. Choose and dig those with thick leaves and sturdy root systems, retain the main root and terminal bud, and use them for planting. Open furrows for planting, with a plant and row spacing of 20 cm x 10 cm, and water after planting. Slow the seedlings and nurture the roots, water once before freezing, and cover with straw curtains to wait for overwintering.
3. Management after emergence: Dandelion is a dicotyledonous plant. When the seeds emerge, the two cotyledons come out of the soil, and true leaves appear after 6-7 days. When there are 2-3 true leaves, thin the small seedlings that grow unevenly in the bed, at a plant spacing of 10-12 cm. At this time, the temperature in the solar greenhouse should be lowered to 10-15°C, and the soil temperature should also be appropriately lowered to prevent the seedlings from growing leggy. When thinning, pull out the weeds in the bed.
4. Blanching cultivation. To increase edibility, the technique of blanching cultivation is often used. The method is: after dandelion germinates, carry out sand cultivation, spreading 1 cm of fine sand each time; after the leaves emerge 1 cm above the ground, carry out sand cultivation again, and repeat sand cultivation 4-5 times in sequence; when the leaves grow 8-10 cm above the sand surface, dig them out with the roots, wash them clean, remove the fibrous roots, and they can be marketed. After blanching cultivation, dandelion has reduced bitterness, less fiber, and is crisp, tender and of high quality.
5. Disease and pest control: Dandelion has strong disease resistance. If there is aphid damage, use 40% dimethoate emulsion at 1000 times dilution or 21% mieshabi emulsifiable concentrate at 300 times dilution for spray control.
6. Harvesting: Begin harvesting for market in early January, when the plant height has reached more than 15 cm and there are 7-8 true leaves. When the plant root system is found to be robust but growth is slow, appropriately spray plant growth regulators such as Panshipbao, Dammin-Lüxing, Yunda-120, etc., or spray monopotassium phosphate and trace-element compound fertilizer, etc., for foliar top dressing, which can significantly improve the yield and quality of dandelion.
Harvesting method: Cut parallel at 1-2 cm below the ground surface, retaining the underground roots so they can grow new shoots. Cut the large plants and leave the medium and small plants to continue growing. You can also break off the leaves by hand. Pick the tender stems and leaves and remove the dead leaves to increase the commercial value of the vegetable.
7. Seed collection: Only biennial plants can bloom and set seed. After pollination, the fruit matures in about 15 days. From late May to late June, when the receptacle turns from green to yellow, cut off the inflorescences at 8-9 o'clock every morning, place them indoors to after-ripen for one day, wait until the inflorescences have all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days until the seeds are half-dry, rub off the pappus with your hands, and dry them in the sun.
8. Economic value: Dandelion is widely distributed, highly adaptable, vigorous in growth, rapid in reproduction, comprehensive in nutrition and multi-effective medicinally. It is a uniquely favored "green food" and "nutritional health product." The market price is even more considerable. Generally, the average yield is 1-1.2 kg per square meter. At an average of 10 yuan per kg (calculated according to the March market), the income per mu can reach 6000-7000 yuan, more than ten times the benefit of field crops.

Early-spring cultivation techniques for dandelion
1. Seed preparation
Dandelion is a perennial root plant. Under wild conditions, biennial plants can bloom and set seed. Early summer is the flowering and seeding period. The number of flowers per plant increases with the number of growth years; some individual plants bear more than 20 flowers, and superior varieties can bear as many as more than 100 flowers per plant. After flowering, the seeds mature in 13-15 days. When the outer shell of the flower disk changes from green to yellow-green and the seeds change from milky white to brown, they can be harvested. Do not wait until the flower disk splits before harvesting, otherwise the seeds are likely to scatter and be lost, causing relatively large losses. Generally, each capitulum has more than 100 seeds. The 1000-seed weight of large-leaf dandelion is about 2 g, and the 1000-seed weight of small-leaf dandelion is about 0.8-1.2 g.
When collecting seeds, pick the dandelion flower disks, place them indoors to after-ripen for one day, wait until the flower disks have all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days until the seeds are half-dry, rub off the fluff at the tips of the seeds with your hands, and then dry the seeds in the sun for later use.
In places rich in wild dandelion resources, the roots of wild dandelion can also be dug directly for cultivation. Usually in October, after digging the roots, cultivate them centrally in a greenhouse at a plant and row spacing of 8 x 3 cm, water thoroughly after planting, and new leaves can emerge by February of the following year. At this time, apply organic fertilizer once more, and when they have grown to a certain extent, the leaves can be harvested for market.
2. Land preparation and fertilization
Choose fertile, loose, well-drained sandy soil with high organic matter content for sowing, and deeply plow and prepare the land before sowing. Apply 3000-4000 kg of farmyard manure per 666.7 square meters, mixed with 15 kg of superphosphate per 666.7 square meters, and evenly scatter it on the ground. Deep plow 20-25 cm, level and rake fine, make flat beds 1.2-1.5 m wide and 10 m long, form small ridges 20 cm high, prepare the beds finely, and open furrows in the beds for drilling.
3. Sowing
The suitable growth temperature for dandelion is 20-25°C, but it also tolerates low temperatures of -30°C. Begin sowing from late March to early April. Varieties include "Mingxian No. 1" and "French thick-leaf tube-flower dandelion," etc. Before sowing, mix an appropriate amount of fine sand evenly with the seeds, open shallow furrows in the bed with a furrow spacing of 12 cm and a furrow width of 10 cm, and a row spacing of 30 cm. Then sow the seeds in the furrows, cover with soil 0.3-0.5 cm thick after sowing, with a sowing rate of 0.5-1.0 kg per 666.7 square meters. The soil is required to be moist when sowing; if the soil is dry, water thoroughly two days before sowing. After sowing, to keep warm, retain moisture and increase the emergence speed, cover the bed with plastic film, and remove the film after emergence in 4-5 days. To make seedlings emerge earlier, warm water seed soaking and germination promotion can be used, that is, place the seeds in 50-55°C warm water, stir until the water cools, then soak for 8 hours, take out the seeds and wrap them in a wet cloth, place them in a place at about 25°C, cover the top with a wet cloth, water once with warm water morning and evening each day, and after about 3-4 days, when the seeds begin to sprout, they can be sown.
4. Thinning and setting of seedlings
About 10 days after emergence, thin the seedlings in combination with cultivation, at a plant spacing of 3-5 cm; 20 days after emergence, set the seedlings at a plant spacing of 8-10 cm, keeping 700-1000 plants per square meter.
5. Fertilizer and water management
About 10 days after emergence, cultivate and weed in time and strengthen fertilizer and water management. Apply top dressing 1-2 times during the growth period, applying 10-15 kg of urea per 666.7 square meters and 8-10 kg of monopotassium phosphate per 666.7 square meters.
6. Disease and pest control
Dandelion generally has no diseases. Pests include cutworms, white grubs and other underground pests, which mostly harm during the seedling stage. They can be controlled by drenching the roots with 90% trichlorfon at 1000 times dilution.
7. Harvesting
Dandelion stems and leaves have strong regeneration ability, and multiple harvests can be obtained from one sowing. When the leaves reach 10-15 cm, they can be cut parallel at 2 cm along the ground surface. When harvesting, cut the large plants and leave the medium and small plants, and tie them into small bundles for market. You can also pick the outer large leaves for food, or cut the leaves other than the heart leaves with a knife. Generally, for open-field cultivation, the average yield is 0.8-1.0 kg per square meter; for greenhouse cultivation, the average yield is 1.2-1.7 kg per square meter; for solar greenhouse cultivation, the average yield is 1.5-2.4 kg per square meter, with considerable economic benefits.
8. Field management of perennial plants
The longer a dandelion plant grows, the more developed its root system becomes, and the more luxuriant its above-ground growth, resulting in higher yields and better quality of the harvested product. Therefore, perennial cultivation should be carried out in production. In plots under perennial cultivation, attention should be paid to repeated weeding, and water and fertilizer management should be strengthened during the growing season, with timely harvesting.

Seedling control cultivation techniques
To bring the product to market earlier, small arch sheds can be used as cover in early spring. In late autumn and early winter, one thorough watering should be given, then the bed surface should be covered with horse manure or wheat straw, etc., to help the root crowns overwinter and to promote earlier sprouting of new plants the following spring.
The dandelion's fleshy root is relatively thick and sturdy; the leaves are basal, narrowly oblanceolate, with an acute or rounded apex, and the margins have runcinate (backward-pointing pinnate) incisions, 20-65cm long, reaching over 80cm at the longest, and about 50-100mm wide; the flowers are produced from the leaf rosette, in capitula (flower heads), 25-40mm in diameter; the involucre is broadly campanulate, 13-25mm long, green, with the apex tapering to a point 4-10mm long; the ligulate (ray) florets are bright yellow; there are usually many flowering stems, up to over a hundred, with the stems 20-70cm tall; the achenes are pale yellowish-brown, 3-4mm long; the upper middle part bears numerous small prickles, the rest is covered with small tuberculate projections, and the apex suddenly contracts into a beak base 0.4-0.6mm long, with the beak 7-12mm long; the pappus is white, 6-8mm long; the 1000-seed weight is 0.68g; flowering begins in early April, and the full fruiting stage is reached in early May, lasting about 15 days, with sporadic flowering throughout the year, and another relatively concentrated fruiting period in September-October.
1. Site selection and land preparation
Dandelion is highly adaptable and can survive in most soils, but for artificial cultivation, sunny, fertile, irrigable sandy loam soil should be chosen. Deeply plow the land 25-30cm, and for every 10000 sq m, apply 30000-40000kg of organic fertilizer, break up the soil finely and level it, and make beds ready for sowing.
2. Sowing and seedling raising
Dandelion can be sown from April to September. The seeds have no dormancy characteristic, and their viability declines rather quickly after harvest, so it is best to sow freshly harvested new seed in late May. Both direct sowing and seedling transplanting are possible. Direct sowing generally uses drilling (row sowing); after watering thoroughly, open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 25-30cm, using 500g of seed per mu, and after sowing, rake the ground level. For seedling raising, a dedicated seedbed is needed, broadcasting at 5g/sq m, covering with soil less than 0.5cm deep, and seedlings emerge within 7-15 days. Remove weeds promptly.
3. Transplanting
When the seedlings in the seedbed reach a height of over 10cm and have more than 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted. Different plant and row spacings are used according to different cultivation purposes. For medicinal and culinary cultivation, the plant and row spacing is generally 25cm x 25cm, and on better plots the density can be reduced further. For ornamental use, they can be planted in deeper flower trays, or the density can be adjusted appropriately for transplanting according to the shape of the green belt. After transplanting, water for establishment and for recovery from transplanting, then cultivate and weed.
4. Field management
For directly sown seedlings, weeds must be removed promptly during the seedling stage; weeding can be done together with thinning. After 2 thinnings, finalize the stand at a plant and row spacing of 25cm x 25cm. In the first year, do not harvest the above-ground parts; instead promote growth to favor the accumulation of nutrients in the roots. Apply topdressing twice, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. In the second year, they can flower and set seed; water and topdress once each before flowering and after seed setting. At this time the dandelion leaves already fully cover the ground, so it is only necessary to pull out individual large weeds in the field. For ornamental use, withered and yellowed leaves and irregular flowering stems should be removed promptly; during the full flowering stage, remove flowering stems whose seeds have already matured, and during the fruiting stage, remove flowers that have just opened. Every year in late autumn, after the above-ground parts wither and yellow, they should be cleared away promptly to prevent pathogens and pests from overwintering in the cultivation site.

Field management
Field management in the year of sowing
Before emergence, keep the soil moist. If the soil is dry before emergence, first scatter a thin, loose layer of wheat straw or thatch over the seedbed surface; then water lightly, and after the seedlings have emerged evenly, rake away the covering straw with a fork; after emergence, moisture should be appropriately controlled so that the seedlings grow vigorously, preventing excessive vegetative growth and lodging; during the rapid leaf growth period, keep the field moist to promote vigorous leaf growth; before winter, give one thorough watering, then cover with horse manure or wheat straw, etc., to help them overwinter.
Cultivation and weeding
About 10 days after dandelion emergence, the first cultivation and weeding can be carried out, and thereafter cultivation and weeding once about every 10 days, until the rows close; ensure the field is free of weeds. After the rows close, weeds can be pulled by hand.
Thinning and finalizing the stand
Thin and finalize the stand in combination with cultivation and weeding. Thin about 10 days after emergence, at a plant spacing of 3-5cm; after 20-30 days, finalize the stand at a plant spacing of 8-10cm; for broadcast-sown plants, a plant spacing of 5cm is sufficient.
Fertilizer and water management
Dandelion has very strong disease and pest resistance, and generally no pest or disease control is needed; the focus of field management is mainly fertilizer and water. Although dandelion is not strict about soil conditions, it still prefers fertile, moist, loose soil with high organic matter content. Therefore, when planting dandelion, apply 2000-3500kg of farmyard manure per 667 sq m as base fertilizer, and also apply 17-20kg of ammonium nitrate per 67 sq m as seed fertilizer. After sowing, if the soil surface is not covered, water frequently to keep the soil moist, so as to ensure a full stand. After emergence, the soil must also always be kept at an appropriate moisture level.
Apply topdressing 1-2 times during the growing period. And water frequently to keep the soil moist, so as to ensure a full stand and meet the needs of growth after emergence. Young, tender plants in the year of sowing need not have their leaves harvested; wait until the second year to begin harvesting, when the plants are of good quality and high yield. For autumn-sown plants, after winter begins, broadcast 2500kg of organic fertilizer and 20kg of superphosphate per mu over the bed surface, which both fertilizes and protects the roots for safe overwintering. After greening up the following spring, chemical fertilizer can be applied together with watering (10-15kg of urea and 8kg of superphosphate per mu). To bring the product to market earlier, small arch sheds can be used as cover in early spring. In late autumn and early winter, one thorough watering should be given, then the bed surface should be covered with horse manure or wheat straw, etc., to help the root crowns overwinter and to promote earlier sprouting of new plants the following spring.
Harvesting
Dandelion can be harvested by picking the outer large leaves in batches for food during the seedling stage, or the leaves other than the heart leaves can be cut with a knife for consumption. Cut once every 15-20 days. The whole plant can also be cut all at once for market. Generally, each harvest yields 700-800kg per mu.
When harvesting, a hook knife or small knife can be used to dig or pry it up, cutting parallel to the ground surface at 1-1.5cm, keeping the underground roots so as to grow new shoots. Harvest the large plants first, leaving the medium and small plants to continue growing; it can also be harvested like the way celery leaves are broken off for harvest in some places in Northeast China, but the leaves are scattered, not forming leaf bundles. Per
unit area yield
For open-field cultivation, the average yield is 0.8-1.0kg per sq m; for greenhouse (plastic tunnel) cultivation, the average yield is 1.2-1.7kg per sq m; for glasshouse cultivation, the average yield is 1.5-2.4kg per sq m.

How to cultivate dandelion
1、How to obtain seeds from wild dandelion?
Dandelion is a perennial plant with a persistent root, and biennial plants can already flower and set seed. Early summer is the flowering and seed-setting period. The number of flowers per plant increases with the number of years of growth; some individual plants bear more than 10 flowers, and the seeds mature 13-15 days after flowering. When the outer shell of the flower head turns from green to yellow-green and the seeds turn from milky white to brown, they can be harvested. Never wait until the flower head splits before harvesting, otherwise the seeds are easily dispersed and lost, causing relatively large losses. Generally, each capitulum (flower head) contains more than 100 seeds. The 1000-seed weight of large-leaf dandelion is about 2g, and that of small-leaf dandelion is about 0.8-1.2g.
When collecting seed, the flower heads of dandelion can be picked off and stored indoors for one day to after-ripen, and once the flower heads have all opened, air-dry them in the shade for 1-2 days until the seeds are half dry, then rub off the down at the tip of the seeds with your hands, and then sun-dry the seeds. In places where wild dandelion resources are abundant, the roots can also be dug up for cultivation. Usually in October, after digging up the roots, plant them concentrated in a plastic tunnel at a plant and row spacing of 8cm x 3cm; after planting, water thoroughly, and by February of the following year they will sprout; then apply organic fertilizer once more, and the leaves can be harvested for market.
2、How do dandelion seeds germinate? How are they sown?
Mature dandelion seeds have no dormancy period, so sowing can be done from early spring to midsummer. On a sunny day (around 28 degrees), mix the seeds with soil, water thoroughly, expose to the sun until the soil is slightly moist, then water appropriately, keep moist, and by the next day the middle skin will turn green, and within a few hours they will take root and sprout.
According to experimental results: if seeds are harvested in late May and sown immediately, it takes 10-20 days from sowing to emergence; if delayed until July-August in summer, it takes 15 days from sowing to emergence. The sowing rate is generally about 3g per sq m, which can maintain 700-1000 seedlings.
Before sowing dandelion, the land should first be turned and beds made, with a bed width of 80-90cm; open shallow furrows in the bed, with a furrow spacing of 12cm and a furrow width of 10cm. Then sow the seeds in the furrows, and after sowing cover with soil 0.3-0.5cm thick. The soil should be moist at sowing; if the soil is dry, water thoroughly two days before sowing. For spring sowing, plastic film mulching is best; for summer sowing, rain is plentiful, so no mulching is needed.
3、How is fertilizer and water management carried out for dandelion?
Dandelion has very strong resistance to disease, drought and pests, and generally no pest or disease control is needed; the focus of field management is mainly fertilizer and water. Although dandelion is not strict about soil conditions, it still prefers fertile, moist, loose soil with high organic matter content. Therefore, when planting dandelion, 17-20kg of ammonium nitrate per mu must also be applied as base fertilizer. After sowing, the soil must also always be kept at an appropriate moisture level. During the growing season, apply topdressing 1-2 times. In the year of sowing, leaves are generally not harvested, so as to promote luxuriant growth, making the new shoots of the plants sturdy in early spring of the following year and producing tender leaves of good quality and high yield.
4、How is early-maturing cultivation carried out for dandelion?
When in early spring the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm in the topsoil reaches 1-2 degrees, dandelion planted the previous year begins to sprout and grow new shoots. Generally, before Qingming Festival the new shoots emerge above the ground, and at this time the "white shoot" part in the soil is already 3-4cm long, so wild dandelion can generally be marketed around April 20. At this time there are few fresh leafy vegetables on the market, so it is very popular with consumers. For dandelion cultivated in artificial greenhouses, because the growing environment and conditions are improved, the marketing period is earlier than that of wild dandelion, which is of even greater practical significance for the supply of the vegetable market.

Propagation methods of dandelion: seed propagation
Dandelion is propagated by seed. The seeds have no dormancy period; after maturity and harvest, the seeds can be sown at any time from spring to autumn. According to market demand, they can also be sown in greenhouses in winter. For open-field direct sowing, drilling is used: open shallow transverse furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 25-30cm, with a sowing width of about 10cm; after the seeds are sown, cover with soil 1cm deep, then press lightly. The sowing rate is 0.5-0.75kg per mu. For flat-bed broadcasting, 1.5-2.0kg of seed per mu is used. For high-quality dandelion varieties, the sowing rate per mu is only 25-50g. After sowing, cover with straw to keep warm, and remove the covering straw at emergence; seedlings emerge in about 6 days.
To bring about earlier emergence, warm-water seed treatment can be used to promote germination: place the seeds in warm water at 50-55 degrees C, stir until the water cools, then soak for another 8 hours, take out the seeds and wrap them in a damp cloth, place them somewhere at about 25 degrees C, cover well with a damp cloth on top, water with warm water once each morning and evening, and after about 3-4 days, when the seeds begin to sprout, they can be sown. Mature dandelion seeds have no dormancy period; when the temperature is above 15 degrees C, the seeds can be sown in moist soil. They can germinate after about 90 hours. Seeds germinate relatively quickly when the soil temperature is about 15 degrees C, and germinate slowly above 25-30 degrees C, so sowing can be done from early spring to midsummer.
According to experimental results: if seeds are harvested in late May and sown immediately, it takes 10-12 days from sowing to emergence; if delayed until July-August in summer, it takes 15 days from sowing to emergence. The sowing rate is generally about 3-4g per sq m, which can maintain 700-1000 seedlings.
Seed preparation
Dandelion is a perennial plant with a persistent root. Under wild conditions, biennial plants can already flower and set seed. Early summer is the flowering and seed-setting period, and the number [of flowers] increases with the number of years of growth; some individual plants bear more than 20 flowers, and superior varieties can bear as many as more than 20 flowers per plant. The seeds mature 13-15 days after flowering.
When the outer shell of the flower head turns from green to yellow-green and the seeds turn from milky white to brown, they can be harvested. Never wait until the flower head splits before harvesting, otherwise the seeds are easily dispersed and lost, causing relatively large losses. Generally, each capitulum (flower head) contains more than 100 seeds. The 1000-seed weight of large-leaf dandelion is about 2g, and that of small-leaf dandelion is about 0.8-1.2g.
When collecting seed, the flower heads of dandelion can be picked off and stored indoors for one day to after-ripen, and once the flower heads have all opened, air-dry them in the shade for 1-2 days until the seeds are half dry, then rub off the down at the tip of the seeds with your hands, and then sun-dry the seeds for later use.
In places where wild dandelion resources are abundant, the roots of wild dandelion can also be dug up directly for cultivation. Usually in October, after digging up the roots, plant them concentrated in a plastic tunnel at a plant and row spacing of 8cm x 3cm; after planting, water thoroughly, and by February of the following year new leaves will sprout; then apply organic fertilizer once more, and once they have grown to a certain extent, the leaves can be harvested for market.

Disease control of dandelion
Dandelion has strong disease resistance and rarely suffers from diseases; most infections are caused by underground pests biting and injuring the roots, resulting in infection.
The dandelion root system is a fleshy taproot, and damage from underground pests is relatively serious; the main underground pests are mole crickets, cutworms, and the like.
Control methods: on the plot where dandelion is to be planted, carry out autumn plowing and sunning of the soil and winter irrigation one year in advance, which can kill eggs, larvae and some overwintering pupae; sugar-vinegar liquid, horse manure and lights can also be used to attract insects, and they can be gathered and killed in the early morning; stir-fry 5kg of soybean cake or wheat bran until fragrant, or boil 5kg of blighted grain and dry it until half dry, then mix 150g of 90% crystalline trichlorfon with water to moisten the poisoned bait, use 1.5-2.5kg of poisoned bait per mu, and scatter it in the field or on the seedbed; when underground pests cause serious damage, mix 1-1.5kg of 5% phoxim granules with 15-30kg of fine soil and scatter it on the ground and then plow and harrow, or apply poisoned soil in furrows before transplanting. When cultivating for medicinal use, do not use chemical agents to kill insects.
Leaf spot disease
Small spots the size of a needle tip, fading from green to light brown, first appear on the leaf surface, then expand into round to elliptical or irregular shapes, with the center dark gray to brown, and a raised brown line at the margin, 3-8mm in diameter, with individual lesions reaching 20mm.
Spot blight
Small brown spots first appear on the lower leaves, then expand into dark brown round or nearly round to irregular spots, 5-10mm in size, with an indistinct yellow halo on the outside. In the later stage, the margins of the lesions are dark brown.
Rust disease
It mainly harms leaves and stems. At first, small light-yellow spots appear on the leaves, and small chlorotic spots also appear at the corresponding places on the underside of the leaves. Later, slightly raised blister-like bodies are produced; after the blister-like bodies rupture, large amounts of yellow-brown powdery material are released. When there are many lesions on the leaves, the leaf margins curl upward.
Control methods for the above three diseases
Pay attention to field hygiene, and in combination with harvesting, collect diseased and residual plant material and carry it out of the field to burn; clear the ditches and drain water, avoid over-application of nitrogen fertilizer, and spray Zhibaosu (plant growth regulators) etc. at the appropriate time, so that the plants grow robustly and their resistance is enhanced; at the early stage of disease onset, begin spraying 42% Fuxing emulsifiable concentrate at 8000 times dilution, or 20.67% Wanxing emulsifiable concentrate at 2000-30000 times dilution, or 40% Duo-Sulfur suspension concentrate at 500 times dilution, or 50% Procymidone (Iprodione) wettable powder at 1500 times dilution, once every 10-15 days, for 2-3 consecutive treatments. Stop using chemicals 7 days before harvest.
Fusarium wilt
At the initial onset, the leaf color becomes lighter and yellow, and the leaves wilt and droop, and the stem base also turns light brown. A cross-section of the stem base shows the vascular bundles have turned brown, and the vascular bundles of the upward-extending branches also gradually turn light brown, while downward extension causes the outer skin of the roots to necrose or turn black and rot. Some stem bases split open, and white mold is produced when the humidity is high.
Control methods
Advocate the application of compost fermented with effective microorganisms (enzyme bacteria) or decomposed organic fertilizer; strengthen field management and rotate with other crops; select disease-resistant varieties suitable for the local area; choose sandy soil with good drainage for planting; irrigate reasonably, and try to avoid the field being too wet or waterlogging after rain; at the early stage of disease onset, choose 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or 40% Duo-Sulfur suspension concentrate at 600 times dilution, or 50% copper bis(dihydrogen phosphate) (Hu Jiao Fei Suan Tong) wettable powder at 400 times dilution, or 30% basic copper sulfate suspension concentrate at 400 times dilution for root drenching, using 0.4-0.5 liters of solution per plant, and drench 2-3 consecutive times depending on the condition of the disease.

Harvesting and processing of dandelion
Dandelion can be harvested by picking the outer large leaves in batches for food, or the leaves other than the heart leaves can be cut with a sickle for consumption, cutting once every 30 days. When harvesting, a sickle or small knife can be used to cut or pry it up, cutting parallel to the ground surface at 1-2cm, keeping the underground roots so as to grow new shoots. Harvest the large plants first, leaving the medium and small plants to continue growing. The whole plant can also be cut all at once for market, generally yielding 2000-2500kg per mu per harvest. After the whole dandelion plant is cut, the roots are damaged and exude a white milky sap; do not water within 10 days, to prevent root rot. When dandelion is used as Chinese medicinal material, the whole plant with roots can be dug up in late autumn, cleaned of soil and sun-dried for medicinal use.
Harvesting
In spring and summer, before flowering or just as flowering begins, dig up the whole plant with the root, remove all soil, and sun-dry.
Processing and preparation
Pick out impurities, wash off soil, cut into sections, and sun-dry. For the crude drug, pick clean, quickly wash off mud and debris, take out and spread to air-dry, cut into 1-1.5mm sections, sun-dry, and sift out dust and debris.
Storage
Place in a box or other container, store in a dry place, and protect against mold and insects.
Distribution range of dandelion
Dandelion is mostly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere; in China it is distributed in Northeast, North China, East China, Central China, Northwest and Southwest China. It grows in places such as roadsides, grasslands, fields, riverbanks, wasteland, and gardens.
In China, dandelion is mainly produced in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, northern Fujian, Taiwan, China, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, northern Guangdong, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other provinces and regions. It grows widely on hillside grasslands, roadsides, fields and river beaches in low and middle altitude areas. It is also distributed in Korea, Mongolia and Russia.

Uses and purposes of dandelion: beauty benefits
The dandelion plant contains various healthy nutritional components such as taraxol, taraxacin, choline, organic acids, and inulin, and has diuretic, laxative, jaundice-clearing and cholagogue effects. Dandelion also contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins, etc., and has rich nutritional value. The carotene, vitamin C and minerals it contains help improve indigestion and constipation. In addition, the leaves also have the effect of improving eczema and soothing dermatitis, while the root has an anti-inflammatory effect, and the flowers decocted into a medicinal juice can remove freckles.
Mask preparation
Materials: 100g dandelion, 50g mung beans, 10g honey.
Method: Put the dandelion in a pot, decoct in water, and take 500ml of the clear juice; then add the mung beans to the dandelion juice, boil until the mung beans split open, and stir in the honey to finish. Eat the mung beans and drink the soup, and at the same time apply the remaining soup to the face, then wash it off after 30 minutes. Eating it and applying it externally for more than 1 week continuously will produce obvious results.

Medicinal food or medicinal value of dandelion
The medical information and health-food information on Huhua Network are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel, and for the treatment of any disease, please follow medical advice.
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Eating methods
Dandelion can be eaten raw, stir-fried, made into soup, or blanched and dressed, with a unique flavor.
[Raw]: Wash the fresh tender stems and leaves of dandelion, drain, and dip in sauce; it is slightly bitter, with a delicious, fresh fragrance and a crisp, refreshing taste.
[Cold dressed]: Blanch the washed dandelion in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and rinse with cold water. Dress with chili oil, monosodium glutamate, salt, sesame oil, vinegar, mashed garlic, etc., or mix into small dishes with different flavors according to your own taste.
[As filling]: Wash the tender stems and leaves of dandelion, blanch in water, then squeeze lightly, chop finely, add seasonings to make a filling (meat can also be added), and make dumplings or steamed buns.
Medicinal food recipes
(1) Dandelion porridge: 30g dandelion, 100g japonica rice, cooked into porridge; it can clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and dissipate nodules;
(2) Dandelion, Yin Chen and red date soup: 50g dandelion, 50g Yin Chen (Artemisia capillaris), 10 red dates, 50g white sugar, made into soup; it is a superior auxiliary therapeutic medicine for treating acute icteric hepatitis;
(3) Dandelion and Platycodon soup: 60g dandelion, 10g Platycodon grandiflorus root, a little white sugar, decocted together into soup; it has a certain curative effect on carbuncles;
(4) Dandelion and corn soup: 60g dandelion, 60g corn silk, add water and decoct in concentrated form for oral administration or drink as tea; used to treat heat strangury and scanty dark urine.
Stir-fried shredded pork with dandelion
I. Ingredients:
1. Main ingredients: 250g dandelion, 100g pork.
2. Seasonings: cooking wine, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, chopped scallion, minced ginger, soy sauce.
II. Method:
1. Remove impurities from the dandelion, wash clean, blanch briefly in a boiling water pot, take out, wash clean, squeeze out water and cut into sections. Wash the pork clean and cut into shreds. Put the cooking wine, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, scallion and ginger together in a bowl and stir well to make a thickened sauce.
2. Heat the wok, add the shredded pork and stir-fry, add the thickened sauce and stir-fry until the meat is cooked and flavorful, then add the dandelion and stir-fry until flavorful, and remove from the wok to serve.
Note: Dandelion has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting diuresis and dissipating nodules. "Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine" records: "It is a detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and heat-clearing medicine. Treats jaundice, red eyes, difficult urination, and constipation." Pork has the effects of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, and tonifying the middle and benefiting qi. The two combined in this dish can provide the human body with rich protein, fat, carotene and vitamin C. It has the effects of detoxifying and dissipating nodules, and nourishing yin and moistening dryness. It is suitable for treating toxic sores and swellings, scrofula, red eyes, bloody stool, constipation, cough, diabetes (wasting-thirst), gastritis, colds and other conditions.
Dandelion tea
Materials: 75g dried dandelion, 1000ml water
Method:
1. Wash the dandelion clean, put it in a pot, and add water to cover the dandelion.
2. After bringing to a boil over high heat, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for one hour.
3. Filter out the tea residue, and drink after it cools.
Dandelion in Chinese medicine combinations: with Prunella vulgaris: clears heat; with Viola (diding): clears heat and detoxifies; with honeysuckle: dissipates carbuncles and transforms sores; with cassia seed: clears heat and purges fire.
Dandelion medicinal properties: sweet and cold, clearing and resolving; bitter to open and drain; its action is specialized in detoxifying and reducing swelling; it is a key medicine for treating breast carbuncles. It also has the effect of draining dampness.
Dandelion effects
1. Clearing heat and detoxifying: can be used for heat-toxin syndromes, and is especially good at clearing liver heat, treating liver-heat red eyes and swollen painful eyes, as well as various infectious and suppurative diseases.
2. Dissipating carbuncles and dispersing nodules: treats carbuncle swellings and sores caused by heat toxin accumulating in the muscles, with persistent high fever. It has a good effect on breast carbuncles, can detoxify, dissipate nodules and promote lactation; it can be taken orally or applied externally, and is often used together with honeysuckle, etc. In addition, it can also be combined with rhubarb and moutan cortex to treat intestinal carbuncles.
Uses: It can be used as food or as an herbal medicine. The tender dandelion of early spring is a traditional wild vegetable among vegetables. Cultivated ones are now available, much larger than the wild ones. Tender dandelion can be served cold-dressed, made into soup, or stir-fried. The old ones can also be eaten, but are rather bitter. Non-bitter dandelion can also be mixed with meat as a dumpling filling, with a taste similar to filling made from watercress. Europeans were already using dandelion flowers to brew wine in the Middle Ages. Dandelion leaves contain a lot of vitamin A and vitamin C. Bees also often visit dandelion to collect pollen and nectar.
Dandelion is a Chinese herbal medicine. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Dandelion mainly treats women's breast carbuncle swelling; decocting in water and drinking the juice, and applying it, makes it disappear immediately. It resolves food poisoning, disperses stagnant qi, clears heat toxin, transforms food toxin, and disperses malignant swellings, scrofula and furuncles."
Dandelion root is also an herbal medicine; in Canada it is officially registered as a herbal medicine for diuresis and relieving edema. After being roasted dry and ground into powder, it can be brewed as tea; it is said that drinking it before meals can relieve stomach [discomfort] and aid digestion. It can be bought in health food stores, but there is no scientific proof of this effect.

Medicinal value
Brief introduction to pharmaceutical applications:
Dandelion is also called "bed-wetting grass"; it has a very good diuretic effect, is rich in vitamin A and C and minerals, and helps improve indigestion and constipation. In addition, the leaves also have the blood-purifying effect of improving eczema, soothing dermatitis, and relieving joint discomfort, while the root has an anti-inflammatory effect and can treat gallstones and rheumatism, though it is still best not to use it without the guidance of a professional physician. The flowers decocted into a medicinal juice can remove freckles. It can be said to be a very useful aromatic herb. For fresh dandelion, choose those with clean leaves and a slight aroma; for dried dandelion, choose those that are grayish-green in color, free of impurities, and dry.
Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Taraxacum in the family Asteraceae. It is a plant used both as medicine and as food. According to "Compendium of Materia Medica", it is neutral in nature and sweet with a slightly bitter taste, and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dissipating nodules, and promoting lactation, and is very effective in treating mastitis. Whether decocted as juice for oral administration or pounded into a paste for external application, it is effective. In addition, dandelion also has diuretic, laxative, jaundice-clearing and cholagogue effects, and is widely used in clinical practice. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "The tender seedlings of dandelion can be eaten, and eating them raw is especially good for treating infectious diseases." "Shennong's Materia Medica", "Tang Materia Medica", "Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine" and other medical monographs of successive dynasties have all given it high praise. Dandelion is rich in nutritional value, containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins, etc.
Medicinal Material
Shrunken and curled masses; roots cylindrical, mostly curved, 3-7 cm long, brownish; root crown with fine hairs; leaves broken, intact leaf blades oblanceolate, dark grayish-green or greenish-brown, margins shallowly lobed or with pinnate incisions, base decurrent into a petiole-like shape, principal veins prominent on the lower surface; scapes 1 to several, capitula terminal, yellowish-brown or pale yellowish-white; some show numerous long-elliptic achenes with white pappus; odor slight, taste slightly bitter.
Medicinal part: the dried whole plant.
Nature, flavor and functions: sweet, slightly bitter, cold. Clears heat and resolves toxin, reduces swelling and disperses masses.
Indications: upper respiratory tract infection, conjunctivitis, epidemic parotitis, breast abscess with swelling and pain, gastritis, dysentery, hepatitis, cholecystitis, acute appendicitis, urinary tract infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, carbuncles, furuncles and boils, pharyngitis, acute mastitis, lymphadenitis, scrofula, furuncular toxic sores and swellings, acute conjunctivitis, common cold with fever, acute tonsillitis, acute bronchitis, urinary tract infection
Application Reference
1. Epidemic parotitis, mastitis: mash fresh dandelion and apply to the affected area.
2. Chronic osteitis: dandelion 15 g, fermented glutinous rice 1 tablespoon; decoct in water, mix and take after meals.
3. Carbuncles, furuncles and boils: dandelion, wild chrysanthemum, honeysuckle and Viola mandshurica 30 g each; decoct in water and take.
4. Dandelion for clearing heat and resolving toxin:
Dandelion is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine, and its medicinal value has long been recorded in various medical books. Its whole plant is used as medicine, containing taraxasterol, taraxerol, taraxacin, caffeic acid, choline, inulin and other components. Its nature is neutral, its flavor sweet and slightly bitter. It can clear heat and resolve toxin, reduce swelling and disperse masses. It has a significant milk-promoting effect and is very effective in treating mastitis. Whether decocted for oral administration or mashed for external application, it is effective. In addition, dandelion also has the effects of promoting urination, mild laxation, reducing jaundice, promoting bile flow, aiding digestion, increasing appetite, treating gastric and duodenal ulcers, and can also help prevent and treat cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and various tumors.
1. Common cold and wind-cold: dandelion 30 g, Saposhnikovia divaricata and Schizonepeta tenuifolia 10 g each, Isatis indigotica leaf 15 g; decoct in water and take.
2. Various inflammations: dandelion 60 g, honeysuckle 30 g; decoct in water and strain the liquid, add japonica rice 100 g to cook porridge, take twice daily for 3-5 consecutive days.
3. Chronic gastritis: dandelion 30 g, 1 pig stomach; wash clean, add water and stew until soft, eat in two portions.
4. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: dandelion and Sanguisorba officinalis in equal parts; dry-bake.
5. Jaundice hepatitis: dandelion, Artemisia capillaris and white sugar 50 g each, jujube 10 pieces; cook together as porridge, eat 1-2 times daily.
6. Lung abscess: dandelion 60 g, Platycodon grandiflorus 10 g, Houttuynia cordata 20 g, appropriate amount of white sugar; decoct in water and take.
7. Bleeding hemorrhoids: dandelion and Sanguisorba officinalis 30 g each; dry-roast and grind into powder, take with ginger and jujube decoction, 6 g each time.
8. Tracheitis: dried dandelion 60 g, Houttuynia cordata 40 g; dry-roast and grind into fine powder, take with honey water, 3 times daily, 6 g each time.
9. Constipation: fresh dandelion 60 g; decoct in water and take 50-100 mL, add appropriate amount of white sugar or honey, take 1 dose daily for 3-5 consecutive days.
10. Painful urination with strangury: dandelion and corn silk 60 g each; decoct in water to a thick decoction, add white sugar and take.
11. Acute mastitis: fresh dandelion 60 g; decoct in water and take once in the morning and once in the evening; at the same time mash dandelion and apply to the affected area; dandelion and honeysuckle stem 30 g each, add water and appropriate amount of yellow rice wine, decoct into a thick decoction, take 1 dose daily in 2 divided doses.
12. Traumatic injury: appropriate amount of fresh dandelion; wash clean, mash and apply to the affected area.
13. Red and swollen painful eyes: fresh dandelion 60-120 g; decoct in water and take.
14. Oil-paint dermatitis: dandelion and purslane 30 g each; decoct in water and strain the liquid, apply cold compress to the affected area.
15. Parotitis: dandelion 30-60 g; decoct in water and take or mash for external application.
Besides its medicinal use, dandelion is also a very good wild vegetable in early spring. There are many ways to eat it: the leaves can be eaten raw, pickled, or blanched and served as a cold dish; they can also be finely sliced and cooked with rice or stir-fried in oil; and they can also be made into caffeine-free dandelion coffee. Its flowers can be brewed into dandelion wine. Japan has already begun using dandelion extract to make a series of health foods such as candies, beverages and pastries.

Medicinal Value
Dandelion, also called bed-wetting grass, dandelion herb, or Western dandelion, is the dried whole plant of the Asteraceae plants Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz., Taraxacum borealisinense Kitam., or several plants of the same genus. It has a very good diuretic effect. It is rich in carotene, vitamin C and minerals, and helps improve indigestion and constipation. In addition, the leaves also have the blood-purifying effect of improving eczema and soothing skin inflammation and joint discomfort, while the root has an anti-inflammatory effect and can treat gallstones and rheumatism. However, it is still best not to use it without the guidance of a professional physician. The flowers decocted into medicinal juice can remove freckles, making it a very useful aromatic herb. For fresh dandelion, choose those with clean leaves and a slight fragrance; for dried dandelion, choose those that are grayish-green, free of impurities and dry.
Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Taraxacum in the Asteraceae family. It is a plant used both as medicine and food. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, it is neutral in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, and has the effects of clearing heat and resolving toxin, reducing swelling and dispersing masses, and promoting milk secretion, and is very effective in treating mastitis. Whether decocted for oral administration or mashed for external application, it is effective. In addition, dandelion also has the effects of promoting urination, mild laxation, reducing jaundice, and promoting bile flow, and is widely used in clinical practice. The Compendium of Materia Medica says: "The tender seedlings of dandelion can be eaten, and eating them raw is especially good for treating infectious diseases." The Shennong Bencao Jing, Tang Bencao, Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other medical monographs of past dynasties all give it high praise.
[Medicinal Material]
Shrunken and curled masses; roots cylindrical, mostly curved, 3-7 cm long, brownish; root crown with fine hairs; leaves broken, intact leaf blades oblanceolate, dark grayish-green or greenish-brown, margins shallowly lobed or with pinnate incisions, base decurrent into a petiole-like shape, principal veins prominent on the lower surface; scapes 1 to several, capitula terminal, yellowish-brown or pale yellowish-white; some show numerous long-elliptic achenes with white pappus; odor slight, taste slightly bitter.
[Medicinal part]: the dried whole plant.
[Nature, flavor and functions]: sweet, slightly bitter, cold. Clears heat and resolves toxin, reduces carbuncles and disperses masses.
[Meridian entry]: enters the spleen, stomach and kidney meridians.
[Indications]: upper respiratory tract infection, conjunctivitis, epidemic parotitis, hyperglycemia, breast abscess with swelling and pain, gastritis, dysentery, hepatitis, cholecystitis, acute appendicitis, urinary tract infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, carbuncles, furuncles and boils, pharyngitis, acute mastitis, lymphadenitis, scrofula, furuncular toxic sores and swellings, acute conjunctivitis, common cold with fever, acute tonsillitis, acute bronchitis, urinary tract infection.
Dandelion Usage and Dosage
Oral administration: decoct as a soup, 0.3 to 1 liang (2 liang for large doses); mash for juice or include in powder formulations. External use: mash and apply.
Clinical Application (1)
1. Single fresh herb, mashed, take the juice and apply directly to the painful area to treat pain caused by lung cancer.
2. Single fresh herb, mashed, add egg white (with a little white sugar) to make a paste, apply externally to treat epidemic parotitis.
3. Single herb mashed to obtain juice, after high-temperature sterilization, instilled into the eyes to treat itchy and painful trachoma.
Clinical Application (2)
1. For burns complicated by infection: mash fresh dandelion, add a little 75% alcohol and apply to the affected area. (Journal of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine 1987;(5):301) 2. Treatment of stomach pain: dandelion 20-30 g, Salvia miltiorrhiza 25-30 g, white peony root 15-30 g, licorice 10-30 g; decoct in water and take 1 dose daily, 1 month as a course of treatment. (Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1984(2):33) 3. Treatment of acute biliary tract infection: dandelion 30 g, Bupleurum 10 g, Curcuma 12 g, Toosendan fruit 6 g, Bidens bipinnata 30 g. Decoct in water and take. (Newly Compiled Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines, p. 33) 4. Treatment of parotitis: mash fresh dandelion 30 g, add 1 egg white and stir evenly, add appropriate amount of rock sugar, mash into a paste and apply externally to the affected area. Change the dressing once daily. (Modern Clinical Application Handbook of Chinese Materia Medica 1993;12) 1. Acute febrile diseases, upper respiratory tract infection, tonsillitis, etc.: dandelion, Isatis indigotica leaf, Isatis root and honeysuckle 12 g each; decoct in water and take. 2. Mastitis, appendicitis, sores, boils and swellings: dandelion, honeysuckle and Forsythia suspensa 15 g each, pangolin scale, angelica and red peony root 10 g each; decoct in water and take, or use only the fresh product mashed for local external application. 3. Red and swollen eyes: dandelion 30 g, Scutellaria baicalensis 10 g; decoct in water and use to fumigate and wash the affected eyes. 4. Urinary tract infection: dandelion 30 g, Dioscorea hypoglauca, cattail pollen, Akebia stem and Plantago seed 10 g each; decoct in water and take.
Selected Prescriptions
1. To treat early-stage breast abscess with swelling and pain but not yet suppurated: use dandelion that bears yellow flowers like chrysanthemum in spring and autumn; take 2 liang of the whole plant with root, base and leaves, mash it, decoct it with half a jin of good wine until it boils several times, keep the residue and apply it to the swelling, take the wine warm, cover and sleep for about one shichen, then use a teacup of scallion white with fibrous roots to promote sweating, obtain a slight sweat and the illness will disperse. (Waike Zhengzong, Formula for Treating Breast Disorders)
2. To treat early-stage breast abscess: dandelion 50 g, honeysuckle stem 100 g, raw licorice 10 g. Add 2 cups of water, decoct to 1 cup, take before meals. (Dongtian Aozhi, Yingteng Tang)
3. To treat postpartum women who do not breastfeed, with accumulated milk forming an abscess: mash dandelion and apply to the swelling, change 3-4 times daily. (Meishi Jiyan Fang)
4. To treat gan sores and furuncular toxin: mash dandelion and cover the area, separately mash more to obtain juice, decoct with wine and take to induce sweating. (Gangmu, citing Tangshi Fang)
5. To treat acute conjunctivitis: dandelion and honeysuckle. Decoct the two medicines separately in water to make two kinds of eye drops. Instill into the eyes 3-4 times daily, 2-3 drops each time. (Quanzhan Xuanbian - Five Sense Organs)
6. To treat hepatitis: dried dandelion root 18 g, Artemisia capillaris 12 g, Bupleurum, raw Gardenia fruit, Curcuma and Poria 9 g each. Decoct and take, or use dried root and Carpesium abrotanoides 30 g each. Decoct and take. (Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines in the Nanjing Region)
7. To treat acute mastitis: dandelion 100 g, Cyperus rotundus 50 g. 1 dose daily, decoct and take twice. (Inner Mongolia, Selected Materials on New Medical Therapies with Chinese Herbal Medicines)
8. To treat acute suppurative infection: dandelion, frankincense, myrrh and licorice; decoct and take. (Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (11):31, 1965)
9. To treat carbuncles on the upper, middle and lower back and on the three hands, as well as breast carbuncles: dandelion and honeysuckle stem 2 qian each. Boil hot with good wine, drink as much as possible to intoxication, then take 1 raw scallion, fill it with honey until full, roast it hot over ash fire and press it with wine, cover with a quilt and sleep to induce sweating; when sweat comes out, recovery follows. (Wanshi Michuan Waike Xinfa, Erwei Shenxian Yizui Shixiao San)
10. To treat cholecystitis: dandelion 50 g; decoct and take.
11. To treat chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer.
Dried dandelion root and Sanguisorba officinalis root in equal parts. Grind into powder, take 6 g each time, 3 times daily, with ginger decoction. (Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines in the Nanjing Region)
Dandelion root 90 g, Qingtengxiang, Bletilla striata and eggshell 30 g each. Grind into powder, take 3 g each time, swallow with boiled water. (Guizhou Herbal Medicine)
12. To treat weak stomach, indigestion, chronic gastritis and gastric distention with pain: dandelion 30 g (ground into fine powder), tangerine peel (aged tangerine peel) 18 g (ground into fine powder), Amomum fruit 9 g (ground into fine powder). Mix and grind together. Take 6-9 g each time, several times daily, swallowed with boiled water after meals. (Modern Practical Chinese Materia Medica)
13. To treat early-stage breast abscess with swelling and pain but not yet suppurated: use dandelion that bears yellow flowers like chrysanthemum in spring and autumn; take 2 liang of the whole plant with root, base and leaves, mash it, decoct it with half a jin of good wine until it boils several times, keep the residue and apply it to the swelling, take the wine warm, cover and sleep for about one shichen, then use a teacup of scallion white with fibrous roots to promote sweating, obtain a slight sweat and the illness will disperse. (Waike Zhengzong, Formula for Treating Breast Disorders)
14. To treat carbuncle and deep-rooted boils on the back or arising on the head and neck, or on the hands, feet, arms, legs, between the waist and navel, or at the external genitalia and anus, regardless of whether they are yin toxin or yang toxin; if not yet ulcerated they will disperse, if already ulcerated they will heal: dandelion 1 liang, honeysuckle 4 liang, angelica 2 liang, Scrophularia 1 liang. Decoct in water and take on an empty stomach. This formula is good at attacking and dispersing various toxins, yet does not consume true qi. It can be taken in large doses and over a long time without harm. It also treats lung abscess and large and small intestine abscess with remarkable effect. (Dongtian Aozhi, Lixiao Tang)
15. To treat pulmonary abscess: dandelion and winter melon seed 15 g each, Houttuynia cordata and fresh reed root 30 g each, peach kernel 9 g. Decoct in water and take. (Hubei Chinese Herbal Medicine Record)
16. To treat "heavenly snake head" (toxic swelling of the middle finger with red, hot swelling and pain): take dried dandelion herb and Xanthium sibiricum herb in equal parts, grind into powder, decoct thickly in good vinegar and soak-wash. (Zhengzhi Zhunsheng)
17. To treat acute conjunctivitis: dandelion 30 g, chrysanthemum 9 g, mint 6 g (added later), Plantago seed 12 g (wrapped in cloth). Decoct and take. (Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine)
18. To treat intestinal wind: dandelion (mashed with root, pickled overnight with green salt, sun-dried until no juice remains), Sophora japonica fruit (stir-fried), dried persimmon (roasted until scorched and retained nature), black wood ear (calcined until scorched and retained nature), and medicated leaven pills; take 2 qian with plain warm water. (He Shi Jisheng Lun, Miraculous Pill for Intestinal Wind of Long or Recent Onset)
19. To treat dysphagia: choose dandelion about 1 chi tall, dig down several chi, select roots as large as a fist, mash to obtain juice and take with wine. (Yufu Xi Danfang Xuan)
20. To treat acute icteric hepatitis: dandelion, Artemisia capillaris, Smilax glabra, white cogongrass root and Hypericum japonicum 25 g each. Decoct in water and take. (Changbai Mountain Plant Drug Record)
21. To treat acute biliary tract infection: dandelion and Bidens bipinnata 30 g each, Lygodium spore and Glechoma longituba 15 g each, Curcuma 12 g, Toosendan fruit 6 g. Decoct in water twice, concentrate to 150 mL. Take 50 mL each time, 3 times daily.
22. To treat acute appendicitis: dandelion 30 g, Hypericum japonicum and Lobelia chinensis 15 g each, Eupatorium japonicum and Aristolochia debilis 9 g each. Decoct in water and take. (Formulas 21-22 are from the National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicines)
23. Take 1 jin of dandelion, wash it clean with root and leaves, do not let it see sunlight, dry it in the shade, then put it into a container, add 1 liang of salt and 5 qian of Cyperus rotundus, grind these two into fine powder, put them into the dandelion and pickle overnight, then make it into 20 pills separately. Wrap them in 3 or 4 layers of kraft paper and tie them tightly, coat the pills firmly with 61 earthworm droppings, then put them in the stove and dry until the pills are completely red, then take them out, remove the earthworm mud on the surface, grind the pills into fine powder, use it morning and evening to brush the teeth and rinse the mouth, spit it out, and swallow it; long-term use is effective. This formula can stabilize the teeth, strengthen tendons and bones, and nourish the kidneys.
24. To treat intestinal abscess: take 2 liang of dandelion and 2 liang of honeysuckle stem, mash them, add 2 cups of water and decoct until 1 cup remains, then take before and after meals. After sleeping, one will feel the illness has already improved a lot.
Effects
Dandelion's effects, actions and eating methods - effects:
1. Clearing heat and resolving toxin can be used for heat-toxin patterns, especially good at clearing liver heat, treating red, swollen and painful eyes due to liver heat, as well as various infectious and suppurative diseases.
2. Reducing abscesses and dispersing masses treats abscesses, swellings, sores and toxins caused by heat toxin congesting the muscles, with persistent high fever. It has good effects on breast abscess, can resolve toxin, disperse masses and promote milk flow, and can be taken orally or applied externally, often used with honeysuckle. In addition, it can also be combined with rhubarb and moutan bark to treat intestinal abscess.
Dandelion's effects, actions and eating methods - actions:
1. Antibacterial: 50% fresh herb juice by the plate ditch method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi; 50% whole plant decoction by the plate ditch method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
2. Antifungal: the water infusion by the test tube dilution method, 1:4, has an inhibitory effect on Microsporum audouinii, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Trichophyton rubrum, etc.
3. Antitumor: dandelion hot-water extract 30-40 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection has a tumor-inhibitory effect on mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma when administered 11-20 days after subcutaneous inoculation, but is ineffective when administered 1-10 days after inoculation; its antitumor effect is similar to lentinan and is achieved through immune mechanisms. In addition, this product also has anti-gastric ulcer, choleretic and liver-protective effects.

Supplementary Formulas
1. To treat breast abscess: dandelion (washed and finely chopped) and honeysuckle stem decocted together into a thick soup, add a little wine as an adjuvant; after taking it, one will feel sleepy, which is its effect. (Bencao Yanyi Buyi)
2. To treat acute mastitis: dandelion 2 liang, Cyperus rotundus 1 liang. 1 dose daily, decoct and take twice. (Inner Mongolia, Selected Materials on New Medical Therapies with Chinese Herbal Medicines)
3. To treat postpartum women who do not breastfeed, with accumulated milk forming an abscess: mash dandelion and apply to the swelling, change 3-4 times daily. (Meishi Jiyan Fang)
4. To treat scrofula and tuberculosis, with phlegm nodes growing around the neck: dandelion 3 qian, Cyperus rotundus 1 qian, Rumex japonicus root 1.5 qian, Cremastra appendiculata 1 qian, single-root Cirsium japonicum 2 qian, Tiger palm herb 2 qian, Xiao Yi Zhi Jian 2 qian, Xiao Jiu Gu Niu 1 qian. Decoct in water, add a little rice wine and take. (Diannan Bencao)
5. To treat gan sores and furuncular toxin: mash dandelion and cover the area, separately mash more to obtain juice, decoct with wine and take to induce sweating. (Gangmu)
6. To treat acute conjunctivitis: dandelion and honeysuckle. Decoct the two medicines separately in water to make two kinds of eye drops. Instill into the eyes 3-4 times daily, 2-3 drops each time. (Quanzhan Xuanbian - Five Sense Organs)
7. To treat acute suppurative infection: dandelion, frankincense, myrrh and licorice; decoct and take. (Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (11):31, 1965)
8. To treat chronic malignant sores and snakebite swelling and toxin: mash dandelion and apply. (Jiuji Fang)
9. To treat hepatitis: dried dandelion root 6 qian, Artemisia capillaris 4 qian, Bupleurum, raw Gardenia fruit, Curcuma and Poria 3 qian each. Decoct and take. Or use dried root and Carpesium abrotanoides 1 liang each; decoct and take.
10. To treat cholecystitis: dandelion 1 liang. Decoct and take.
11. To treat chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer: dried dandelion root and Sanguisorba officinalis root in equal parts, grind into powder, take 2 qian each time, 3 times daily, with ginger decoction. (Formulas from No. 9 onward are from Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines in the Nanjing Region)
12. To treat weak stomach, indigestion, chronic gastritis and gastric distention with pain: dandelion 1 liang (ground into fine powder), tangerine peel 6 qian (ground into fine powder), Amomum fruit 3 qian (ground into fine powder). Mix and grind together, take 2-3 fen each time, several times daily, swallowed with boiled water after meals. (Modern Practical Chinese Materia Medica)
Precautions for Dandelion
Contraindicated for those with yang deficiency and external cold, or weak spleen and stomach.
1. Excessive dosage
After decoction at conventional dosage, gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort and mild diarrhea are occasionally seen. After gavage administration of the decoction at a large dose (30 g/kg) for 3 days, experimental rabbits showed mild cloudy swelling of liver cells and renal tubular epithelial cells, narrowing of renal tubules, with no other obvious changes. In subacute toxicity tests in mice and rabbits, a small number of casts may appear in the urine, and renal tubular epithelial cells show cloudy swelling.
2. Allergic reactions
After taking dandelion decoction or dandelion wine infusion, a few individuals may experience allergic reactions such as urticaria and generalized itching. After intravenous drip of dandelion injection, there are also occasional chills, pale complexion, cyanosis or psychiatric symptoms.
3. Medicine not matching the pattern
This mainly refers to indiscriminate use of dandelion to treat various infections without differentiating cold and heat or performing pattern identification. Most infections seen clinically are heat patterns, and use of dandelion generally does not cause adverse reactions. However, a small number of infections belong to yin-cold patterns, without heat signs, and the course of disease is often longer, with the patient's constitution being weak. The author has seen someone use large doses of dandelion to treat a yin-cold pattern, resulting in the patient developing reduced appetite, lassitude, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, and pale complexion. The infection focus showed no sign of improvement. Simply regarding dandelion's heat-clearing and toxin-resolving effect as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and then abusing it will produce adverse reactions.

Medical Book Discussions of Dandelion
1. Bencao Jingshu: Dandelion is sweet and neutral in flavor, and its nature is non-toxic. It should be an important medicine that enters the liver and stomach and relieves heat and cools the blood. Breast abscess belongs to the liver meridian; after a woman's menstruation, the liver meridian governs, so it mainly treats women's breast abscess, swelling and breast toxin, and is best used warm.
2. Bencao Shu: Dandelion is sweet with a slight remaining bitterness, so it is sweet and neutral and also slightly cold. Xiyong said: 'A sweet and neutral formula brightens the liver and kidneys.' If one understands this phrase, then one knows that it enters the stomach and also enters the liver and kidneys; otherwise, how could it cool the blood and darken the beard and hair, to accord with the blood organ of the Chong and Ren meridians? Thinking this way, then what Dongyuan called a must-use medicine for the kidney meridian should especially be extended and broadened, and one should not stop at what was previously listed as its indications.
3. Bencao Xinbian: Dandelion, though extremely cheap, has great merit, but unfortunately people in the world do not know how to use it. The fire of Yangming often becomes a prairie fire; using Baihu Tang to purge the fire inevitably damages stomach qi too much. The exuberance of fire in the stomach is due to the decline of earth in the stomach; when fire is purged, earth becomes even more depleted. Therefore, using Baihu Tang to purge stomach fire is an extreme emergency measure for the moment, and one cannot rely on it for long-term use. Dandelion is also a medicine that purges stomach fire, but its qi is very mild; it can purge fire without damaging earth, and can be taken for a long time without harm. Whenever Yangming fire arises, it can be taken in large doses, and when the fire recedes, stomach qi naturally arises. However, its fire-purging power is very weak, so it must be used in large amounts, 1 liang, or at least 5 or 6 qian, before it can disperse pathogenic factors and support the upright. Some may ask: dandelion purges fire, but only purges Yangming fire; does it also completely eliminate the fire of each meridian? The answer is: among fires, none is more violent than the flame of Yangming; when Yangming fire descends, the remaining fires of each meridian all disappear. Although dandelion is not a medicine for every meridian, when the fires of each meridian see dandelion they all submit; even saying that dandelion can eliminate the fire of each meridian is not impossible. Some may ask: dandelion and honeysuckle are both substances that reduce abscesses and transform sores; which of the two is ultimately superior? Dandelion only enters the Yangming and Taiyin meridians, whereas honeysuckle enters all meridians; dandelion cannot be said to have the same functions as honeysuckle. However, when honeysuckle obtains dandelion, its effect becomes even greater.
4. Yilin Zuanyao: Dandelion can transform heat toxin, resolve food toxin, reduce swelling and nodules, and treat furuncular toxin and breast abscess; all are effects of purging fire and calming the upper. It promotes milk flow, using form to act. It stabilizes teeth and removes yang-yin heat. People say that one stem with two flowers, about 1 chi tall, with a root below as large as a fist, with human-shaped surrounding embrace at the side, mashed for juice and mixed with wine, treats dysphagia with miraculous effect. What I have seen are all one stem with one flower, and rarely reaching 1 chi in height, yet they are still used to treat dysphagia.
5. Bencao Qiuzhen: Dandelion enters the Yangming stomach and Jueyin liver, cools the blood and relieves heat, so breast abscess and breast cancer are given first importance. This is because the nipple belongs to the liver and the breast belongs to the stomach; breast abscess and breast cancer are mostly due to excessive heat and blood stagnation. Using this directly enters the two meridians; external application is highly effective for dispersing swelling, while internal resolution must be treated together with Prunella, Fritillaria, Forsythia, Taraxacum, etc.
6. Bencao Zhengyi: Dandelion is cool in nature and treats all patterns of furuncular sores, abscesses, redness, swelling and heat toxin; it can be taken or applied, and is quite effective. In treating breast abscess and breast furuncle with red swelling and hard masses, it is especially quick in effect. The fresh one can be mashed for juice and taken warm; the dried one can be decocted and taken; even used alone it can treat them, and it is indispensable in decoction formulas.
7. Tang Bencao: Mainly treats women's breast abscess and swelling.
8. Bencao Tujing: Apply to sores, and also treats malignant thorns and fox-urine thorns.
9. Bencao Yanyi Buyi: Transforms heat toxin, reduces malignant swelling and tuberculosis, resolves food toxin, and disperses stagnant white.
10. Diannan Bencao: Apply to various sores, swellings and toxins, scabies, baldness and tinea sores; dispels wind, reduces various sore toxins, disperses scrofula and tuberculosis; stops blood in urine, treats five stranguries and uroschesis, and benefits the bladder.
11. Gangmu: Darkens the beard and hair, strengthens tendons and bones.
12. Yilin Zuanyao: Tonifies the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, purges fire, promotes milk flow, and treats dysphagia.
13. Gangmu Shiyi: Treats all poisonous insect and snake bites.
14. Suixiju Yinshipu: Clears the lungs, benefits cough and transforms phlegm, disperses masses and reduces abscesses, nourishes yin and cools the blood, relaxes tendons and stabilizes teeth, promotes milk flow and benefits essence.
15. Lingnan Caiyao Lu: Roast until crisp and retain its nature, take with wine, and treat stomach duct pain.
16. Shandong Zhongyao: A medicine for resolving toxin, reducing inflammation and clearing heat. Treats jaundice, red eyes, difficult urination, and constipation.
17. Guangzhou Military Region, Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines: Clears heat and resolves toxin, cools blood and promotes urination. Treats furuncles, skin ulcers, red and painful eye diseases, indigestion, constipation, snake and insect bites, and urinary tract infection.
18. Shanghai Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines: Clears heat and resolves toxin, promotes urination, and mildly laxates. Treats common cold with fever, tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis, acute bronchitis, erysipelas, lymphadenitis, wind-fire red eyes, gastritis, hepatitis, and osteomyelitis.
19. Bencao Xinbian: Dandelion, bitter in flavor, neutral in qi. Enters Yangming and Taiyin. Breaks hard swelling, reduces tuberculosis, resolves food toxin, and disperses stagnant qi.
Modern Research
Main Components
Contains taraxasterol, choline, inulin, pectin; taraxol, stigmasterol, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol, taraxerol, taraxacerin, taraxacin, and vitamins A, B, C, etc.
Pharmacological Effects
[Anti-pathogenic microorganism effects]
Dandelion injection has a strong bactericidal effect in test tubes against resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and hemolytic streptococci, and also has a certain bactericidal effect against Diplococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, Shigella, Salmonella typhi, etc., as well as Neisseria catarrhalis. Dandelion extract (1:400) can inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis in test tubes. Dandelion water decoction (1:80) can delay ECHO11 viral cytopathic effects. Dandelion alcohol extract at 31mg/kg can kill Leptospira. The water infusion has an inhibitory effect on various dermatophytes. When the decoction is given orally to rats, it is well absorbed, and a certain antibacterial effect can be maintained in the urine.
[Liver-protecting and cholagogue effects]
Animal experiments show that gavage with dandelion decoction or injection with dandelion injection has a significant inhibitory effect on the elevation of alanine aminotransferase caused by carbon tetrachloride; it can significantly alleviate the histological changes caused by carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury. It has been reported that dandelion has a cholagogue effect in animals. Gavage with dandelion liquid can contract the gallbladder and relax the sphincter of Oddi, which is beneficial for bile discharge into the intestine. Clinically, it is effective for chronic gallbladder spasm and gallstone disease.
[Anti-gastric ulcer effects]
Gavage of dandelion decoction in rats has a significant protective effect against stress ulcers; it also has a significant protective effect against rat gastric mucosal injury caused by anhydrous ethanol; and it can significantly counteract the formation of gastric ulcers in pylorus-ligated rats. When dandelion is combined with Codonopsis pilosula and Ligusticum chuanxiong, there is a synergistic anti-gastric ulcer effect, and the compound of the three has a stronger anti-ulcer effect. It has been reported that the mechanism of this compound's anti-gastric ulcer and gastric mucosal injury effects may be related to affecting the content of endogenous PGE2 in gastric tissue.
[Effects on immune function]
Dandelion decoction can significantly increase the blast transformation rate of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. Dandelion polysaccharide can significantly enhance the intensity of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mouse footpads induced by Ehrlich carcinoma and MM46 tumor cell antigens, and has the characteristic of being more effective the later it is administered, that is, administration on days 11-20 after antigen stimulation or administration every other day from days 2-20 has a clear effect. Intraperitoneal injection of dandelion polysaccharide can significantly enhance the antibody-dependent macrophage cytotoxic effect in mice.
[Other effects]
It has been reported that dandelion has a diuretic effect, especially effective for portal edema, and its mechanism may be related to the plant containing a large amount of potassium. On isolated frog hearts, a small amount excites while a large amount inhibits. Its root and whole plant are also used as a bitter stomachic or mild laxative. The infusion of the leaves taken internally can treat snake bites. It is also used to promote milk secretion in women.
Chemical Composition (Part One)
The whole dandelion plant contains taraxasterol, choline, inulin, and pectin, etc. The root of the same genus plant Taraxacum officinale contains taraxol, taraxerol, φ-taraxasterol, taraxasterol, β-amyrin, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, choline, organic acids, fructose, sucrose, glucose, glucosides, as well as resin, rubber, etc. The leaves contain lutein, violaxanthin, plastoquinone, vitamin C 50-70 mg/100 g, and vitamin D 5-9 mg/100 g. The flowers contain arnidiol, lutein, and flavoxanthin. The pollen contains β-sitosterol, 5α-stigmast-7-en-3β-ol, folic acid, and vitamin C. The green calyx contains plastoquinone. The flower stem contains β-sitosterol and β-amyrin. This product also contains coumestrol, riboflavin 1.43 micrograms/g, and carotene 7.7-8.8%. The whole plant contains taraxasterol, taraxocerin, taraxicin, inulin, pectin, and choline, etc.
Pharmacological Research
1. Antibacterial: 50% fresh herb juice using the plate trench method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi; 50% whole herb decoction using the plate trench method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2. Antifungal: The water infusion using the test tube dilution method, 1:4, has an inhibitory effect on Microsporum audouinii, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Trichophyton rubrum, etc. 3. Antitumor: Dandelion hot water extract at 30-40 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection has a tumor-inhibiting effect when administered 11-20 days after subcutaneous inoculation of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice, but is ineffective when administered 1-10 days after inoculation; its antitumor effect is similar to lentinan and is achieved through immune mechanisms. In addition, this product also has anti-gastric ulcer, cholagogue, and liver-protecting effects.

Preparation: It has a relatively strong killing effect on Staphylococcus aureus and hemolytic streptococci; it also has a certain killing effect on Diplococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, Shigella, Salmonella typhi, and Neisseria catarrhalis, etc.; it also has an inhibitory effect on certain viruses, fungi, and Leptospira. In addition, it also has cholagogue, diuretic, bitter stomachic, and mild purgative effects.
Chemical Composition (Part Two)
The whole plant contains taraxasterol, taraxocerin, taraxicin, inulin, pectin, and choline, etc.
Physicochemical Identification
(1) Take 1 ml of the methanol extract of this product and evaporate to dryness on a water bath. Dissolve the residue with 1 ml of glacial acetic acid, add 1 ml of acetic anhydride-concentrated sulfuric acid (19:1) reagent, and observe the color change from yellow quickly to red → purple → cyan → dirty green. (Examination of sterols)
(2) Take 1 g of the powder of this product, add 10 ml of ethanol and cold macerate overnight, filter. Evaporate the filtrate to dryness, dissolve the residue with 4 ml of dilute hydrochloric acid, filter. Take 1 ml of the filtrate, add 2 drops of modified potassium bismuth iodide test solution, and an orange precipitate is produced. (Examination of water-soluble alkaloids)
(3) Thin-layer chromatography
① Take 250 g of the powder of this product, add 500 ml of ethanol, heat under reflux for 8 hours, recover ethanol under reduced pressure to dryness, add 30 ml of 10% potassium hydroxide ethanol solution and saponify for 3 hours, add 60 ml of water to dilute, add dilute hydrochloric acid to adjust to neutral, add 10 ml of diethyl ether for extraction (extract 3 times with the same amount). Then wash 3 times with a certain amount of water, dehydrate with anhydrous sodium sulfate, recover diethyl ether and concentrate as the test solution. Use ethanol solutions of β-sitosterol and α-amyrin as reference solutions. Apply the test solution and reference solutions separately to the same silica gel G thin-layer plate, develop with chloroform, development distance 16.5 cm. Remove and air dry. Spray with 5% phosphomolybdic acid ethanol solution, and after heating, it can be seen that the test solution chromatogram shows the same blue spots at the corresponding positions as the reference solution chromatogram.
② Take 50 g of the powder of this product, add 250 ml of ethanol, reflux extract in a Soxhlet extractor, recover 2/3 of the ethanol, add a small amount of distilled water and filter. Concentrate the filtrate to dryness, add 1 ml of methanol to dissolve as the test solution. Separately use choline methanol solution as the reference solution. Apply the test solution and reference solution separately to the same silica gel G thin-layer plate. Develop with n-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:15), development distance 16.5 cm. Remove and air dry. After spraying with potassium bismuth iodide solution, the test solution chromatogram shows the same orange-red spots at the corresponding positions as the reference solution chromatogram. Progress in component analysis research: omitted
Content Determination
1. Antibacterial: 50% fresh herb juice using the plate trench method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi; 50% whole herb decoction using the plate trench method has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
2. Antifungal: The water infusion using the test tube dilution method, 1:4, has an inhibitory effect on Microsporum audouinii, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Trichophyton rubrum, etc.
3. Antitumor: Dandelion hot water extract at 30-40 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection has a tumor-inhibiting effect when administered 11-20 days after subcutaneous inoculation of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice, but is ineffective when administered 1-10 days after inoculation; its antitumor effect is similar to lentinan and is achieved through immune mechanisms. In addition, this product also has anti-gastric ulcer, cholagogue, and liver-protecting effects.
Cultural Background and Aliases of Dandelion
Pugongcao, edible dandelion, bed-wetting grass, Western dandelion, fu gong ying (Qianjin Fang), jiang ru cao (Tang Bencao), dandelion (Qianjin Yifang), dandelion (Bencao Tujing), di ding (Bencao Yanyi), jin zan cao (Shisu Bencao), bo bo ding cai, huang hua miao, huang hua lang (Jiuhuang Bencao), bo gu ying (Gengxin Yuce), po po ding (Diannan Bencao), bai gu ding (Yecai Pu), huang hua di ding, pu gong ding, zhen tan cao, gou ru cao (Gangmu), nai zhi cao (Benjing Fengyuan), can fei zhui (Shengcaoyao Xing Bei Yao), huang gou tou (Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao), bu di wu gong, gui deng long (Caomu Bianfang), yang nai nai cao (Bencao Zhengyi), shuang ying bu di (Guiyang Minjian Fangyao Ji), huang hua cao, gu gu ding (Jiangsu Zhiyao Zhi), mao luo bo (Sichuan Zhongyao Zhi), huang hua san qi (Hangzhou Yaozhi Zhi), po po ding (Liaoning)
Related Legends
Legend One
It is said that long ago, a sixteen-year-old girl developed a breast abscess; her breast was red and swollen, and the pain was unbearable. But she was too ashamed to speak of it, so she could only endure it. Her mother found out about this. In feudal society, it had never been heard that an unmarried young woman could develop a breast abscess, so she thought her daughter had done something shameful. Seeing her mother doubt her chastity, the girl was both ashamed and angry, and even more ashamed to face people, so she made up her mind and secretly fled from home at night to drown herself in a river. By coincidence, there was a fishing boat by the river at the time, and on it an old man surnamed Pu and his daughter Xiaoying were casting nets to fish in the moonlight. They rescued the girl and asked clearly why she had thrown herself into the river. The next day, following her father's instructions, Xiaoying dug up a kind of small grass from the mountain, washed it clean, mashed it into a paste, and applied it to the girl's breast abscess. Within a few days, she recovered completely. Later, the girl brought this grass back home to plant. To commemorate the fisherman father and daughter, this wild grass was called dandelion.
Legend Two
It is said that "whoever can find a purple dandelion can obtain perfect love."
There was a young daughter of a wealthy family named Zhaoyang, deeply loved by her parents. But by the time Zhaoyang reached seventeen or eighteen, she had still not found a suitor she liked, and her parents were also unwilling to let their beloved daughter leave them, so they did not take the matter much to heart.
One day, Zhaoyang was playing on the street with her personal maid, and she saw a handsome young man carrying medicinal herbs. The handsome herb-gathering young man also noticed the beautiful Zhaoyang, but they could only smile at each other, because the traditional concept at that time was that men and women should not touch each other. After the young man's figure disappeared into the crowd, her heart had already been carried away.
Afterward, Zhaoyang often asked the servants about that herb-gathering young man. She learned that the man she admired was named Pu Gong. He had once read many books and was deeply learned, but later, because his parents died early, his family became poor, so he made a living by gathering herbs. Pu Gong also often thought of Zhaoyang, but when he thought of his own poverty, he felt inferior.
Finally, one day Zhaoyang told her parents about this matter, but she met with strong opposition from her parents.
Her parents could not overcome their daughter's stubbornness and reluctantly agreed. After they married, because her parents and relatives still had much dissatisfaction with and discrimination against Pu Gong, Zhaoyang and Pu Gong discussed it and made a willing decision - to wander to the ends of the earth.
Zhaoyang and Pu Gong later wandered to a small mountain village with beautiful scenery. By the small stream in front of a tile kiln grew many blue wildflowers. They decided to live there. Although life at the tile kiln was hard, they lived very happily, and Zhaoyang also gave birth to a daughter. On the day Zhaoyang gave birth to her daughter, the blue wildflowers by the stream bloomed unusually brightly, so Zhaoyang gave her daughter the childhood name - Lanruo.
However, because the situation was turbulent, not long after, Pu Gong was forced to join the army and go to war. This departure lasted eighteen years!
One day eighteen years later, a tremendous piece of good news spread into Zhaoyang's ears like a spring breeze: Pu Gong had returned! Moreover, because of outstanding military achievements, he had already become a great general. After hearing this, Zhaoyang was incomparably excited and joyful; this news that she had awaited for eighteen years made her too excited, and coupled with Zhaoyang's lovesickness having become an illness, she fainted.
On her deathbed, Zhaoyang, with infinite attachment in her eyes, said to Pu Gong: "Take good care of Lanruo. Do you still remember the wildflowers all over the mountain? Take them to the front line. They can not only be eaten, but also heal wounds. When you miss me, they will flutter in the wind by your side!" After saying this, Zhaoyang turned into countless white flowers fluttering in the sky. Later, Pu Gong left the tile kiln with Lanruo and many wildflowers. Pu Gong marched and fought for thousands of miles, and along the way he would take out those wildflowers and let them drift down with the wind onto the earth. From then on, that beautiful and self-strengthening wildflower could be seen everywhere across the mountains and plains.
Film of the Same Name
Single mother Dandelion (played by Nobuko Miyamoto) runs a ramen shop called "Lailai Xuan" alone after her husband's death, but her skills are really poor, so customers are few and the small shop struggles to survive.
Long-distance truck driver Goro (played by Tsutomu Yamazaki) and Gun (played by Ken Watanabe) stop at Lailai Xuan on a stormy night, and Goro bluntly points out the problems with the ramen. Eager to learn, Dandelion asks Goro to take her as an apprentice and improve her cooking skills. Out of sympathy for the mother and child's situation, Goro launches devilish training for Dandelion and takes her to visit nearby ramen shops to learn from the experience of peers in the trade. In this process, famous teachers in the industry and warm-hearted friends continuously join in to help Dandelion develop delicious ramen capable of attracting thousands of diners.
Song
Secret of the Dandelion
"Secret of the Dandelion" is a song written by Vincent Fang, composed and sung by Jay Chou, included in Jay Chou's 2007 album "On the Run," and the original song is an interlude in the film "Secret."
Creative Background
This song is about Jay Chou's middle school and his first love. At Tamkang Middle School, where he attended junior high school, there was a rather interesting fenced garden behind the school, and Jay Chou wrote this song especially for it. The creative inspiration came from Bandari's "In a Brilliant Season," and it first appeared as an interlude in the film "Secret," later developing into this love song.
Song Lyrics
The dandelion by the elementary school fence is a scene with flavor in memory
The sound of cicadas comes from the playground during nap time
After so many years it still sounds very nice
Fold wishes into paper airplanes and send them as letters
Because we cannot wait for that shooting star
Seriously toss a coin to decide fate
Yet not knowing where we can actually go
The promise of growing up together
So clear; I believe in the pinky swear
We agreed to travel together
Is the only stubbornness you still insist on now
Standing in punishment in the hallway, getting hit on the palm
Yet we noticed the dragonfly by the window
Wherever I go, you follow very closely
Many dreams are waiting to unfold
The promise of growing up together
So clear; I believe in the pinky swear
We agreed to travel together
Is the only stubbornness you still insist on now
The promise of growing up together
So sincere
The endless past we talked about with you
And I can no longer distinguish
Whether you are friendship or missed love
Cultural Symbolism
It does not have the delicate beauty of peach and plum blossoms, nor the fragrance of roses and Chinese roses, but it spreads the breath of spring and emits tenacious vitality. In fields, valleys, hillsides, grasslands, roadsides, riverbank sandy areas, and other places, its stubborn and lovely figure can be seen everywhere.
"After the flowers fade, they become fluff, fly with the wind, and grow as soon as they land on wet ground." Whenever early spring arrives, dandelion sends up flower stems and blooms little yellow flowers one after another amid the green. After the flowers bloom, the white pappus on the seeds forms one fluffy ball after another, swaying in the wind. After the seeds mature, they drift with the wind to new places to settle and nurture new flowers.
It is so inconspicuous, yet it still does not forget to fly freely in the air with beautiful wishes.

Dandelion's Flower Language Dandelion
It has vibrant yellow flowers, and its flower language is "can not stop love," "could not stay love." It has vibrant yellow flowers, and its flower language is "cheerfulness," with the attribute of wind. Autumn dandelion flowers contain abundant nectar, so whenever the flowering season comes, bees swarm over. Therefore its flower language is - temptation.
Purple Dandelion
The light purple dandelion has the flower language "legendary purple," with the attribute of darkness.
Legend says whoever can find a purple dandelion can obtain perfect love. Please note: in fact, dandelions are not purple; the so-called "purple dandelion" refers to Cirsium japonicum.
The leaves of the two are similar, and the fruits are both achenes with white pappus, but Cirsium japonicum leaves have thorns, and the petals and plant form are also different. Please distinguish carefully.
Flying Arrow Dandelion
The dandelion named Flying Arrow has the flower language "aim at the marble," with the attribute of wind.
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