The enticing scent of the Purectum leaf will calm nausea.

THe Dandelion has no poison look alikes.
I have some with red flowers. The leaves do not just stay near the gound in a rosette.
Likely this is another cousin to the regular dandelion.

The thistle is a cousin of othe dandelion and can be eaten also.
This spring I had this kind of strange looking dandelion in my garden and I began eating it. It tasted good. Later it developed a central stalk and as the weather got warmer the leaves got little points on the end.
That was what is called the Common Sow Thistle. Best in early spring. As the weather gets warm it get thorns and tastes bitter.
I'll have plenty of them next spring.

Chem spraying of lawns should be illegal. It pollutes our water.
People need to be educated on the beauty of some of those "weeds".
Some of my weeds have beautiful little flowers.

Yes you can eat the flower too! The leaves and roots secrete a milky white substance that is bitter...pick the leaves when they are tender and young, and yes you can eat them raw.

My 2c:
I have a mini container veggie garden, and in my planter box with spinach, I put a couple of dandelions that I transplanted from the lawn, after ripping the root and leaves out.
This had got to be the wierdest plant I've ever grown. It keeps growing and growing, two months after I replanted it, and every 3 weeks or so I'm ripping off all the leaves and they just grow back. It would seem that dandelion plants also attract ladybugs, as I caught one meandering around my spinach the other day. Dandelion is listed as a great companion plant to any garden, because it attracts beneficial bugs that will eat aphids, mealybugs, etc.

Actually, the main reason I started growing dandelion, is because the leaves make an excellent addition to salads! They're packed full of fiber, and to prepare them all you need to do is harvest and wash! You can also use a pumice stone or something abrasive to rub off the furry bits on the top if you don't like the texture.

I eat dandelion leaves nearly every day, to no ill effect, and since I'm a home-gardener, I appreciate the free food that I can get from the lawn. ^_^

the important thing here is research.

not knowing how to spot the deadly plant that mimics wild strawberries could kill you

of course also dandilions are not to everyones tastes, they are pretty bitter. but if you dig up the roots in winter when they are at their largest and roast em, they apparently make good and otherwise expensive coffee.

nettles and stickygrass are the most worth mentioning , both can be harmfull if taken by a total dumbass, but also they bring health benifits. for example nettle soup is a traditional spring tonic and stickygrass (y'know that stuff you played with as a kid) if cooked correctly to remove most of the spines can do a very good job of cleaning out your digestive system.

of-course for more info buy "food for free" the most accessable and respected free food guide.

StoneCrow....

I just wanted to state that because of this thread, I am going to transplant some dandelions tomorrow and grow them. So thank you, OP "Greenize".
I love dandelion.
Ok, one last recipe.

Make your broccoli rabe' as you normally do, with garlic, olive oil, and what not.
toss in some dandelion. Or just make the dandelion as you would the broccoli rabe'. Eat some for din din, while it's hot. Refrigerate the leftover.
The next day, get some Italian ponnel bread, the thick sliced kind and lightly toast it. Slap on some dandelion or broccoli rabe' mix.
Get a piece of sharp as f*** provolone, ans a sip or two of homemade red wine, and you got yourself a ghetto Italian peasant meal fit for a king.
Go knock your socks off, it's good!!!!
Ciao!....

You know what, this begs some postings of recipes; I only wish I knew more!

Some uses for dandelions that I can think of right now:

In salads. Make your every-day salad, add some dandelion leaves.
In chilli. Cook up your hottest chili mix, chuck it into your favourite tortilla, or on top of rice, etc. then chop up a handful of dandelion, sprinkle on top of chili, and enjoy!
In healthdrinks. You know you love em, those hideous, green health drinks that involve a crapload of 'good for you' random greens (ie. spinach, wheat grass, etc). Simply add dandelion, and make sure you blend the living daylights out of it!
With hot-dogs. (!!!) Cook up the sausages, spread the butter on to the roll, add chilli paste and sauce, then lay down a few dandelion leaves with spinach, add sausage/hotdog, and enjoy!

My favourite: Fettucini Carbonara with dandelions. (oh hellz yeah!) When you're stewing up the sauce for the pasta, cut the dandelion leaves into pieces about 2-3inches long (usually half the length of the leaf), and stir into the mix just before you add the pasta.


That's just a few using the leaves. All I can think of with the roots, are that you dry them out in the sun, then chop them and use in a teapot/coffee-plunger/filter-jug.

I've never actually bothered to try to do anything with dandelion flowers. Next time my lawn is covered in yellow things, I'll give it a shot.

Nice, i eat them all the time. It's hard to swallow it down though

Originally posted by Greenize
I had no idea just how wonderful this little plant that grows on nearly every lawn really is... read on....

Dandelion roots act as an ani-viral and the funny thing is another name for dandelion is Swine's snout..lol This "weed" is a great source of vitamins A, B complex, C and D. It also is rich in iron zinc and potassium!

Most all parts of the dandelion plant are useful, first, uses for the leaves:
The leaves make a great diuretic and help rinse the kindneys.
Liver problems
swelling
upset stomach
boils
digestive problems
heartburn

the roots can be used for:
appetite stimulant
digestive aid
gall bladder and liver problems ( great for detox)

the flowers can be used to make wine and add flavor to a salad.( young tender leaves can be used for greens)
You can dry the leaves and roots use them this way or you can steep them into a tea...
These are just a few uses for this amazing little plant that most of us consider a pesky weed!


wha wha wait a min folks what b vitamins exactly?

I saved my cat from kidney failure with dandelion root. I put a few drops in her food daily and whenever she gets tested at the vet, they always say that her kidney failure has never progressed beyond the initial diagnosis 3 years ago.