Photo by Jim Jung. All rights reserved.

Dandelions

Dandelions are seemingly everywhere. Natives of Europe, they are possibly the most successful weed species in history since they're now found on every continent except Antarctica. And while lawn owners might find them objectionable, when gathered young they're an excellent spring green and highly nutritious.

During World War I - with natural rubber supplies cut off by German U-boats - Henry Ford experimented with Dandelion latex as a source of rubber. He managed to actually produce a high quality rubber from them but the difficulties of harvesting them in quantity were a drawback. The war ended before the project could be put into production so research in that area stopped.

They're also medicinal and may have been the Atterlothe of Anglo-Saxon herb lore. They were considered a panacea for a host of ills in their native Europe. The milky latex in the flower stems and roots cause the smooth muscle tissue of the stomach, gall bladder and intestines to contract rhythmically enhancing digestion. The bitter compounds this latex contains also aid digestion and promote appetite.

Offsite Links:

• 1931 entry on uses of the Dandelion
• Dandelion Wine
• Dandelion Jelly from the Minnesota Farm Guide

Suggest a link! Send suggestions to Webmaster