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Dandelion
Scientific Name:
Taraxacum officinale
Type:
Herbaceous Plant
Habitat:
Grasslands and cultivated areas
Range:
Native to Eurasia; widespread across North America
Status:
No listed status
This species is
INVASIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Dandelions are one of the most recognizable flowers. They have bright yellow ray flowers and leaves with smooth surfaces. Their leaves are usually irregularly jagged, but the leaf shape can differ quite drastically from extremely jagged to only moderately jagged. Dandelions have a distinctive hollow stem which secretes milky white liquid.
Fast Facts:
Though many people view dandelion as an obnoxious weed, dandelion seeds were brought to North America intentionally from Europe by the settlers as dandelions were used as medicine, food, wine, dye, and coffee.
Dandelions also have ecological uses, providing a nectar source for bees, forage for rabbits, and seeds for small birds.
Dandelions have a long list of purported medicinal uses, one being the ability to aid in digestion due to dandelion’s bitter properties.
Sources:
USDA PLANTS Database, Taraxacum officinale, 2021, https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=taof
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Taraxacum officinale, 2021, https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/taraxacum-officinale/
University of Wisconsin-Madison - Wisconsin Horticulture, Taraxacum officinale, 2021, https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dandelion-taraxacum-officinale/
Contributor(s):
Haley McGuire (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)