Dandelion (
Taraxacum
agg.) is probably one of the most well-known and most common wildflowers in the
UK. Every year from early spring onwards its cheery yellow daisy flowers pop up
in parks, on road verges, in neglected corners and, to the dismay of many gardeners,
in allotments and gardens as well. Dandelion is often seen as a nasty weed as the
long tap root makes the plants difficult to remove and the delicate seed heads
(clocks) release their seed load in the slightest breeze, spreading seeds far
and wide.
 |
| A dandelion (Taraxacum) water feature at a garden festival |
What we know as dandelion is in reality an aggregation of
many different species, subspecies and microspecies, all looking very similar
and are in most cases only identifiable by experts. The exact number of
dandelion species/subspecies/microspecies is still unresolved.
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| A front garden full of dandelions teeming with pollinators |
 |
| Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum) |
As dandelion is often unwelcome and removed where possible
it is worth spending a few moments to reflect on its usefulness to pollinators.
Dandelion is in flower for most of the year but has its peak flowering time
from late March to May; exactly the time when many pollinators emerge after
they have
survived winter in hiding places (
bumblebee queens, hoverflies,
butterflies), a hive (honeybees) or in nest chambers (solitary bees) and are now
out and about looking for food.
A dandelion flower head may look as if it is just
one big single flower but each flower head actually consists of 40-100 little
flowers (florets) all clumped together to one big yellow daisy flower. As each
of these little flowers contains nectar and pollen, just one
flower head provides a huge food resource for hungry visitors. Pollinators also do not need a lot of time
and energy to collect the pollen and nectar as all those little flowers are so
close together that no energy-intensive flying is necessary to visit each of them.
Finding a patch of dandelion flowers in early spring when other flowers are
often few and far between can make all the difference to early pollinators.
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| A park with dandelions and dead nettles is great for pollinators |
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| A red-tailed bumblebee forages on a dandelion flower head in Reading |
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| Ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria) |
On a sunny day in March or April have a look at the
dandelion flowers when you are out and about and you will be surprised how many
pollinators you will see. You may spot big bumblebee queens (most likely
buff-tailed bumblebee (
Bombus terrestris)
queens which can emerge from March onwards and are quite common), smaller
solitary bees such as mining bees (
Andrena
spp.), the occasional honeybee,
hoverflies especially from the genus
Eristalis spp. (
Eristalis tenax and
E.
pertinax are quite common and mimic honeybees) and the occasional early
butterfly if you are lucky.
 |
| Andrena nitida is very fond of dandelions |
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| The hoverfly Eristalis tenax mimics a honeybee |
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| Dandelion has edible leaves which are full of vitamins |
And if this is not enough, dandelion leaves are edible when
picked young. The leaves are rich in calcium, iron, antioxidants and vitamins
and have a number of health benefits especially for liver, kidney and
gallbladder. Do not pick the leaves at roadsides or in areas where pesticides
are used.
Even when picked young, dandelion leaves can be very bitter when
eaten raw so use them sparsely in a salad or on a sandwich. To get milder
leaves you can put a dark plant pot (cover the holes) or other light-proof
container over the plant for a couple of weeks or longer. Once the leaves have
lost most of their green colour you can harvest them. They are not as
nutritious as green leaves butwill taste a lot less bitter. Another
way to remove the bitterness in the leaves is to boil the leaves 2-times for about
3 min (use fresh water for the second boiling) before adding them to dishes. Dandelion
leaves can be used in salads, sandwiches, pesto, stir fries, soups and many other
dishes. You just need to be a bit adventurous.
 |
| A pollinator-friendly park in Reading |
So why not leave some dandelions to flower in your garden
next year? You can always remove the seed heads if you do not want them
spreading their seeds around. Pollinators will thank you and you may even get
some food for free if you harvest some of the leaves for the kitchen.
Dandelion (Taraxacum
agg.) is probably one of the most well-known and most common wildflowers in the
UK. Every year from early spring onwards its cheery yellow daisy flowers pop up
in parks, on road verges, in neglected corners and, to the dismay of many gardeners,
in allotments and gardens as well. Dandelion is often seen as a nasty weed as the
long tap root makes the plants difficult to remove and the delicate seed heads
(clocks) release their seed load in the slightest breeze, spreading seeds far
and wide. 
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