The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber) is an important member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), and is probably too well known to require description.

It is a perennial, and can flower throughout the year, causing it to be a troublesome weed all over the world in meadows, pastures and gardens. The familiar tap-root, dark on the outside and white and milky within, gives rise to the jagged leaves which form a rosette close to the ground. Each hairless leaf is cut into teeth at the margin, either upright or pointing slightly backwards, and these are cut into further teeth at irregular intervals. Somewhat fancifully, this leaf pattern is supposed to resemble the canine teeth of a lion, and this is assumed to have given the plant its common name; ‘dandelion’ being a corruption of the French dent de lion (‘lion’s tooth’). In nearly every European language the plant’s name alludes to ‘lion’s tooth’, but it is also possible that its name may be connected to the sun, since the lion was the animal symbol of that celestial object – and that all plants named after it are essentially sun-loving.

The Old English name for the plant, ægwyrt, means ‘egg plant, presumably because of the spherical cluster of seeds that it produces. Other names include ‘priest’s crown’, ‘Irish daisy’, ‘bitterwort’, ‘clock flower’, and ‘swine’s snout’.

The plant is an important source of nectar for bees in early spring, when their harvest from fruit trees is almost over. Flowers are very sensitive to weather conditions: in fine weather all the parts are outstretched, but, as soon as rain threatens, the whole head closes up. This opening and closing is largely determined by light intensity. Indeed, there is an old saying relating to the seed head that goes: “If the down flieth off colt’s-foot, dandelion and thistles when there is no wind, it is a sign of rain”. It is also said that to dream about the dandelion is to presage misfortune.

Nowadays, the plant is generally regarded as a nuisance – to be dug up and eradicated from gardens, yet this was not always the case, vying with elder and nettle as the wild plant drawn on most widely in the UK for folk medicine,

As it happens, the dandelion leaf is one of the best natural sources of potassium (up to 4.5% in aerial parts), and this makes the plant an ideally balanced, safe, remedy wherever diuretic action is needed. Overall, this herb is a most valuable general tonic, with leaf extracts being more effective than those of the root.

The noted herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, in his 17th century English Physician, said of the plant:
"It is of an opening and cleansing quality, and, therefore, very effectual for removing obstructions of the liver, gall bladder and spleen and diseases arising from them, such as jaundice.

We now know that the plant is highly nutritive, and contains significant amounts of several metallic elements, including calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, aluminium, chromium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc. It also contains silicon and is a good source of boron (which helps the body retain calcium and raises oestrogen levels in the blood.

It is a source of protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Leaves chopped and cooked with butter and cider vinegar are excellent, and if plants are covered with an inverted flower-pot they will blanch, become less bitter, and can be used as a substitute for endive in winter salads.

Dandelion seeds are a feast for small birds. Horses won’t touch the plant, whilst sheep and cattle don’t care for it. Goats will eat it, and pigs love it, and the plant is eagerly devoured by rabbits! Young leaves make a wholesome addition to salads, and are widely eaten on the Continent.