wildflower
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Low riskEdibleabundant
The emergency salad. Entire plant is food if you can stand the bitter.
Basal rosette of toothed leaves, hollow milky scape, one yellow head, then a clock of seeds. No branching.
- Habitat
- Lawns, gardens, waste ground.
- Season
- Peak April; some bloom all year.
- Size
- 4–12 in
- Field marks
- Hollow milky stem; one flower per stalk
Use
Young leaves raw or boiled; buds like capers; flowers for wine; roasted root as a coffee stretch.