Dandelion

Taraxacum

• The roots can be used to make coffee, this was common place during WW2 and rationing. It is caffeine free.
• The name comes from the shape of the leaves in french, Dent – a – Lion, teeth of the lion.
• Another french name for dandelions is pis-a-lit, as they have diuretic properties when eaten.
• The dandelion clock is often used buy children to tell the time, a practice seen from the UK to Turkey.
• Dandelions overwinter by storing their energy in a large tap root (a little like a carrot), this is what is used for the coffee. I’ve also tried it in stir-fries but it was pretty bitter and not something I’d return to again unless pushed.
• Dandelions are a large group of plants there are over 250 different species of dandelions world wide!