Dandelion deep dive...

Elspeth
Apr 30, 2025
5 min read

I love dandelion, it's such a widespread and familiar plant and all parts of it are useful to herbalists and foragers. As it's a perennial plant, it is also common & abundant.

We probably all walk past a dandelion (Latin name Taraxacum officinale) every day, yet it is unnoticed by most people or is dismissed as a weed. The word Dandelion is thought to come from the French ‘dent de lion’, which translates as ‘lion’s teeth’ reflecting the toothed nature of the leaves. It has an alternate name of ‘pis de lit’ translating as ‘wet the bed’, relating to its main action as a diuretic. The ‘officinale’ in the name means ‘of the office’, ie it was once an official medicinal plant historically used by established herbalists. Dandelion has historically been a herb valued by herbalists due to its high natural potassium levels, as a diuretic it doesn't therefore cause a deficiency of potassium as some prescribed diuretics do.

In the UK, Taraxacum officinale comprises 250 or so micro-species which are divided into 9 sections. These are hard to tell apart and are all safe medicinal plants, hence grouped together.

All parts of the plant are edible and used in herbal medicine, young leaves and flowers used raw in spring salads, roots in autumn.

Latin name:

Taraxacum officinale agg.

Plant family:

Asteraceae (or daisy)

Common names:

Dent du lion, lion’s tooth, pis du lit, Persian bitter herb, mole’s salad. In Holland it’s called ‘horse flower’ or horse lettuce. In Somerset it’s called ‘fluffy puffy’.

Habitat:

An extremely common plant of grass, meadows, roadsides & cultivated land in most of the northern hemisphere. Flowers in UK in March-May. Thrives in full sunshine.

Botany - growth pattern & identifying features:

Leaves grow in a basal rosette, from the top of a tap root. This tap root is generally very long, branched and can be 1m deep.
Leaves are long, narrow & deeply lobed, though some may have entire margins. The lobes generally point backwards towards the base of the plant.
Flower heads 2-6cm. Flowers close at night.
The flower head is not a single flower, but a composite of many individual ray florets (up to 200), so each ‘petal’ that we see is actually a single flower or ray floret.
Each ray floret has a single stigma which is split at its end into two curling lobes.
Florets are bright yellow.
Brachts are dark green and curl outwards.
There can be multiple flower stems growing from one plant, but each flower grows on one leafless, unbranched, hollow, round stem.
Flower stalk (scape) is pale green and a little bit hairy or hairless and emits a white, milky latex when snapped.

Dandelion is a perennial plant and a hermaphrodite, it’s generally pollinated by insects but can also self-pollinate. The seed dispersal method of a dandelion is extremely successful as each seed is attached to a pappus or feathery parachute which easily carries on the wind.

The deep tap root means that the plant draws up minerals from the ground, making this a very nutritious plant for us to eat. Roots can regenerate from a tiny bit of root left in the ground, that combined with its amazing seed dispersal & perennial nature makes for a very successful plant.

History & traditional use:

According to Hatfield [2007], teams of root diggers in East Anglia in the 1930s would make a living from digging up dandelion roots for sale to herbalists. In folk medicine, dandelion was often recommended for kidney ailments. Historically its other main use has been in removing warts. In official medicine, dandelion was used as a tonic, digestive & for liver & kidney complaints.

Parts used for medicine:

Leaves and roots. According to Hoffman [1993], roots are at their most bitter between June and August, so that is the best time to harvest them for medicinal uses. Leaves should be gathered before flowering.

Parts used for food:

Leaves, flower buds, flower heads, roots. Entire plant is edible.

Edible uses:

All parts of the dandelion are edible, only exception being the seed pappus.
Leaves are bitter. Young leaves can be added raw to salads, added to a mixed greens pesto, cooked in soup or fritters or a mix of nutritious spring greens and are enjoyed as a spring tonic.
Flower buds can be picked when very young and pickled into capers.
Flowers can be used for dandelion wine or cordial /syrup, to make a dandelion cake or fried fritters. Flowers must be harvested in the morning as they become more bitter later in the day.
Root can be roasted and eaten as a carbohydrate or dried for a rich dandelion root tea, or roasted & ground to make a coffee substitute. As with all plants, roots are best harvested in autumn.
All parts of the dandelion can be enjoyed in an infusion.

Key compounds & constituents:

Glycosides, triterpenoids, choline, up to 5% potassium, bitters, flavonoids, inulin

Medicinal actions & indications:

Globally, wherever dandelion grows it is known as a skin remedy due to its cleansing action on the body.

Bitter tonic - stimulates digestive juices, optimises bile flow and improves health of liver and gall bladder
Diuretic - flushes out water & waste products from the body, & is potassium rich leaving net positive potassium in the body unlike synthetic diuretics. Strengthens the urinary system.
Laxative, this action is gentle
Kidney stimulant
Hepatic (ie protects the liver), commonly used as a traditional liver tonic, helps to balance blood sugar and support the liver in metabolising hormones.
Antidiabetic
Nutritive - contains most vitamins & minerals needed by the human body in a higher value than many vegetables. Higher beta carotene level than carrots.

Generally there are no side effects from medicinal use of dandelion, though some people get a rash or skin sensitivity when touching members of the Asteraceae family, especially the sap.

Safe for use with children and the elderly.

Other ethnobotanical uses:

The latex from the stem can be used to clear up warts, it’s antimicrobial. Dab the latex on the wart & seal with a plaster.
Dried stems of dandelion flowers have traditionally been used in basketry and to make cordage.
Modern research is ongoing into using latex from dandelion to make rubber.
Traditionally used to treat scurvy due to the high level of vitamin C in the leaves.
High in vitamin K & contains most of the other vitamins & many required minerals in a form that the body can easily process.
Sap was also used traditionally to remove freckles & age spots.