The Plant Profile of the Dandelion: Getting to Know This Common Wild Weed

Alternative Names

Huahualang, Pugongcao, Edible Dandelion, Bed-wetting Grass, Western Dandelion, Popoding

Growth Habit

It is a herbaceous perennial plant. The root is slightly conical, curved, 4-10 cm long, with a brown surface, shriveled, and the root crown bears brown or yellowish-white down.

The leaves are obovate-lanceolate, oblanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 4-20 cm long and 1-5 cm wide, with a blunt or acute apex; the margins are sometimes wavy, sometimes runcinately pinnatifid or lyrate-pinnatifid, with the terminal lobe larger, triangular or sagittate, usually toothed, spreading or recurved, and small teeth often interspersed between the lobes; the base gradually narrows into a petiole-like form. The petiole and midvein are often purplish-red, sparsely covered with cobweb-like white pubescence or nearly hairless.

There are 1 or more flower scapes, similar in length to the leaves, about 10-25 cm tall, purplish-red in the upper part, and the outer surface of the marginal ray florets has purplish-red stripes, while the anthers and stigma are dark green.

The achene is obovate-lanceolate, dark brown, about 4-5 mm long and about 1-1.5 mm wide, with the upper part bearing projections and the lower part bearing small tubercles arranged in rows, and the apex gradually contracts into a 1 mm conical to cylindrical beak base. The flowering period is April to September, and the fruiting period is May to October.

Flower Language

Dandelion Flower Language

It has a yellow flower full of vitality, and its flower language is "love that cannot stay."

Purple Dandelion

The light purple dandelion has the flower language of "the legendary purple, attribute dark. Legend says whoever finds the purple dandelion can obtain perfect love."

Please note: in fact, dandelions are not purple.

Autumn Dandelion

The flowers contain abundant nectar, so whenever the flowering season arrives, bees swarm in. Therefore its flower language is "temptation."

Flying Arrow Dandelion

The dandelion named Flying Arrow has the flower language of "aiming at the marble," attribute wind.

The Application Value of Dandelion

1. Edible value. Dandelion can be eaten raw, stir-fried, made into soup, or dressed, with a unique flavor. Eaten raw: wash the tender stems and leaves of dandelion, drain them, and dip them in sauce; they are slightly bitter, yet delicious, fragrant and refreshing. Cold-dressed: blanch the washed dandelion in boiling water for 1 minute, drain it, and rinse it with cold water. Dress it with chili oil, monosodium glutamate, salt, sesame oil, vinegar, mashed garlic, etc., or mix it into side dishes with different flavors according to your own taste. As filling: wash the tender stems and leaves of dandelion, blanch them in water, squeeze them slightly, chop them, and add seasonings to make a filling (meat may also be added) for dumplings or buns.

Dandelion has a very good dietary therapeutic effect. 1) Dandelion porridge: 30 grams of dandelion, 100 grams of japonica rice, cooked into porridge, can clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and disperse nodules;

2) Dandelion, Yin Chen and red date soup: 50 grams of dandelion, 50 grams of Yin Chen, 10 red dates, 50 grams of white sugar, made into soup, is a first-class auxiliary therapeutic medicine for treating acute icteric hepatitis;

3) Dandelion and Platycodon soup: 60 grams of dandelion, 10 grams of Platycodon grandiflorus, a little white sugar, decocted together into soup, has a certain effect on carbuncles;

4) Dandelion and corn soup: 60 grams of dandelion, 60 grams of corn cob, add water and decoct with concentration for oral administration or drink as tea, used to treat heat strangury and scanty dark urine.

2. Medicinal value. Dandelion is also called bed-wetting grass; the whole plant is used as medicine, and it has a very good effect on diuresis. It is rich in carotene, vitamin C and minerals, and has an improving effect on indigestion and constipation. In addition, the leaves also have the blood-purifying effect of improving eczema, soothing dermatitis and joint discomfort, while the root has an anti-inflammatory effect and can treat gallstones and rheumatism, but it is still best not to use it without the guidance of a professional physician. The flowers decocted into medicinal juice can remove freckles, so 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, free of impurities and dry.

3. Dandelion tea. 75 grams of dried dandelion and 1000 milliliters of water can be made into tea for drinking. Wash the dandelion, put it in a pot, add water to cover the dandelion, bring to a boil over high heat, then cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for one hour, filter out the tea residue, and drink after it cools. Dandelion tea is not suitable for people with yang deficiency and external cold, or weak spleen and stomach; excessive dosage can cause mild diarrhea.