Common Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Plant Data

Order:

Asterales

Family:

Asteraceae (Daisy)

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flowers:

Leafless flower stalks contain a milky sap. Yellow flowers, often reddish underneath, up to 6cm wide.

Fruit:

The fruit is a pappus. A spherical head of white seeds, often known as a 'clock'. The seeds are called 'achenes'.

Leaves:

Variable in shape and having basal leaves only. They have deep lobed, long leaves, up to 30cm. The word 'dandelion' comes from the French for 'Lion's tooth'. This is referring to the shape of the leaf margins. In the UK there are more than 230 species of Dandelion, all with subtle differences.

Maximum Size:

35cm tall.

Foraging Notes:

All parts of the plant can be eaten. The leaves and flowers can be used in salads and are eaten either raw or cooked. Slightly bitter-tasting.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

Faint-smelling.

Other Names:

Bitterwort, Blow-ball, Cankerwort, Clockflower, Irish Daisy, Lion's Tooth, Priest's Crown, Puffball, Swine's Snout, Tell-time, Yellow Gowan.

Habitats:

Farmland, gardens, grassland, lawns, meadows, parkland, roadsides, towns, walls, wasteland, woodland.