Its botanical name is taraxacum, and there are more than 200 species of them in the UK. Not that the vast majority of us can tell those 200 apart.

They are one of the best flowers to have in your garden if you want to encourage bio-diversity, as their pollen and nectar rich flowers arrive early in the year and the plants then keep on flowering. And it’s not just their flowers, the birds love them for their seeds and us humans have discovered the rest of the plant is great for herbal remedies and apparently also wine. The humble dandelion is so much more than a weed.

Cherish rather than banish the dandelion

A Six Word Saturday for Debbie at Travel Intent

72 thoughts

  4. You really elevated the dandelion in my eyes, Becky, starting with over 200 species. Who know? Obviously not many of us. We used to blow the dandelion fluff and I love the geometry of said fluff. In the wild, I consider them just another wildflower beautifying the world. In a yard, I consider them an evil, insidious intruder. :-)

    janet

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  5. We get them in our garden too. Our tour guide in Canada last year called the flowers bear candy because the black bears love to eat the sweet flowers. We saw three different black bears feasting beside the road and they didn’t stop eating to be bothered with all the people in all the cars and buses watching them.

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  6. Blowing their seeds was a treasured childhood pastime for us, Becky. They were everywhere in our neighbourhood in the early 70’s. Love your photos and that quote 🥰

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    1. awww thanks, the quote is all mine 😀

      I was always blowing the seeds too as a child, hopefully it will be a pastime that returns for everyone as their numbers increase again

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  8. Well, I never knew there were so many dandelion species! If you’d asked me I would probably have said they’re all the same 😆 But you’re right about cherishing them, and look at the work that approach saves!

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      2. oh my goodness yes they are adorable compared to those two, and at least you can remove them from areas you really really don’t want.

        How are you getting on with the hedge and the unwanteds?

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      3. I’ve rather slowed down with it till I can see what the length we’ve ‘weeded out’ looks like in leaf. Taking out the ivy and the trailing lengths of holly has left us with a rather see-through hedge in places. On the other hand, I’m thinking we can always fill in the gaps with other more suitable species. Really and truly, the whole thing needs taking out and starting again. And especially as I noticed yesterday, it’s also got bindweed snaking up from inside it.

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  16. It’s funny how our view of the world can change with a little knowledge. So many of the things we consider weeds have their place, and there’s no doubt about it, they’re survivors.

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  17. I love seeing the dandelions, saw so many yesterday on our little trip out. It is so nice to see them being left on the side of the road to encourage the bees and other wildlife instead of being cut.

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  18. I didn’t know this! Better stop pulling them up. I remember when I was small we used to tell the time with them, blowing at them, “one o’clock, two o’clock”. Did you ever do that?

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      7. There was one house I drive past in town that don’t mow that often. Their front verge is a dandelion feast, looks good with scattered Jacaranda blossoms in Spring

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      9. I do as well. It was funny to see an oasis of yellow among the neat trim cut with scissors look either side. Those people must have lived in despair knowing their pristine patch was going to be invaded by flat weeds

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      11. I hate mowing mine as it takes so long dodging small native flowers or a new grass seed head I’ve not seen before.
        It would be interesting to do a transect and find out how many of what are in a square metre

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      13. Now all I need is a specialised botanist in grasses and very small native flowers, most which are 10mm in diameter.
        I have been square practising 😁

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      15. *Looks behind
        Who? Me? an ID book (the internet is hopeless)
        Forever? By the time I worked out what was there the next seasons plants will arrive, then a drought, a recovery with new pioneer plants giving way to maybe new grasses and plants.
        I might need help. Having a holiday soon 😁

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