HWN Suggests

Don’t Weed ’Em Out: How to Use and Benefit from Dandelions

Many people battle the humble dandelion, which grows in lawns and sunny open spaces throughout the world. But if these maligned yellow-blossomed plants pop up in a yard or garden, there’s a better way to control the problem: eat them. Every part of the dandelion is edible – leaves, roots, stems, and flowers. And the plants are nutritional powerhouses. The greens are rich in beta-carotene, fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins, and protein. Their nutrition profile compares favorably to kale and spinach and trounces iceberg lettuce, the most widely eaten salad green in the United States.

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 Please do eat the dandelions

I once watched a television commercial where a neighbor screamed “kill them all,” and the object of their wrath was a dandelion. The name dandelion derives from the French dent de lion meaning “lions tooth.” The dandelion is one of the most generous and useful plants to ever offer its gifts to mankind and yet, many folks put poison in our earth and water to kill it. Go figure.

 What the Heck Do I Do with Dandelion Greens?

These weedy pests should be on your next dinner plate

Articles of Interest

A Sweet Solution For Dandelions: Eat 'Em To Beat 'Em

When searching for ingredients to cook with, Irish chef Darina Allen sometimes has only to make a short trip — to her yard. There, she's sure to find a constellation of bright yellow dandelion flowers. "Where other people see weeds, I see dinner!" she says.

Dandelions Ruin Your Front Yard but Could Be the Future of the Rubber Industry

Many Americans spend time and money trying to stamp out the persistent, yellow-flowered weed from their lawns. But businesses and academics have long been trying—and failing—to grow another type of dandelion.

Dandelions Should Be the New Kale

Ultimately, the discovery of so many edible weed species has changed Stark and his team’s perception of their environment. “My colleagues have become botanical rubberneckers. It changes how you move through the world,” he said. “Instead of being a world of poverty and strife, you feel like you’re walking through the Garden of Eden.”

Faust And The Dandelion

Romantic poetry and developmental biology have something in common: Goethe. One of botany’s lesser known pioneers, Goethe actually wrote a visionary essay about plants in 1790, which can be summed up in his motto, “All is leaf.” Scientists who are studying the evolution of flowers today hear the echoes of his words.

Health Benefits of Eating Dandelion Greens

If you have never heard of eating dandelion greens, it’s time to consider recommending it to your senior parents. It is low calorie, low in carbs, but high in vitamins and minerals that are super nutritious. If the taste is too bitter for seniors, they can also drink this as tea.

How a dandelion can hold back a flood: Initiating the butterfly effect for good

As we focus on innovative science and large-scale solutions to save us, it is vital that we never underestimate the power of a singular act to snowball and make a big difference, too.

I Tried Dandelion Tea Every Night for a Week—and My Digestive System Is Thanking Me

While dandelions in your front yard may be a bit pesky (the flower is considered a weed since it can easily take over lawns and gardens), dandelion tea is a whole different story. Dandelions in tea, though nothing new, are popular lately for a host of different health benefits.

This Common Yard Weed is an Anti-Cancer Powerhouse

Dandelion root fights cancer! The Dandelion Root Project started in 2009 in a bid to investigate the anti-cancer effects of dandelion root extract against cancer cells. Dandelion root tea has been proven to kill various types of cancer cells in the lab and in animals (including colon cancer, leukemias, melanoma, and pancreatic cancer), and is now being tested in phase 1 human clinical trials for end stage blood related cancers (leukemia and lymphoma).

Weed Eaters: Enjoying Springtime Greens

And while others scoff, Southerners have long recognized the inner beauty of the dandelion. They stew the greens with pork and turn the flowers into wine.

Why you should eat more weeds

Find the idea of eating dandelions challenging? Don’t: they are a rich source of minerals and vitamins – and our gardens are full of them