There are slew of good affair to say about the mourning band people love to detest .
Are blowball bad ? Not really ! blowball were advisedly brought to North America by European settlers in the 17th century . Some say it was for medicative intention oras a solid food craw , but it could have been because they reminded the newcomers of their homelands . For whatever reason , it was a conscious decision . Even the name signal to its European roots , which comes from the Gallic terminus “ dent de king of beasts , ” signify “ tooth of the lion , ” and denote to the species ’ deep toothed leaf sharpness .
Peter Krumhardt
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Benefits of Dandelions
With cottony come that move far distances on the malarkey , this herbaceous perennial shortly escaped cultivation and becamesomething resembling a pestto mass who did n’t make love what they were . Dandelions are kind of like that misunderstood ally you have . Someone suppose something negative about them , and you feel compel to answer with a “ yeah , but … ” response . So if you inquire the question , “ Are blowball risky ? ” The answer is , “ Yeah , but they can be beneficial too . ” Here ’s how .
1. They’re Pretty
Those jaundiced flowers are a delightful goody after a gray and dull winter . If you ’ve ever see a blowball lawn in full rosiness , you know it ’s a sunny sight . Yeah , it look a bit messy a few weeks by and by when itgoes to seed , but that just mean more of those bright blooms will show up later .
2. They’re Fun
C’m on , what kid did n’t care mashing the yellow flowers into someone ’s face to leave a yellow stain on their boldness ? Or screw up the fluffyseed headsinto the air to make a wish ? ( Nature is oblique in effectively dispersing seed , even stoop to Kyd ’ games . )
3. They’re Edible
Dandelion leavesadd a bitter , pepperyflavor to salads andsoups . The bitterness takes a little getting used to , so you might reckon about adding dandelions in small sum to yoursalad . you’re able to also ready the greens to make them less bitter . In any event , always glean jejune plants , which are less bitter . Of course , you do n’t require to glean blowball from lawns treated with herbicide or pesticides .
4. They’re Healthy
Adding dandelion greens to your diet can have several health benefit because they ’re low in calories and loaded with vitamins and nutrients . Two of those nutrient , xanthophyl and zeaxanthin , play a role in healthy eyesight . Dandelion greens also contain Vitamin A , which is essential to imagination and supports the growth of new stock cells , and Vitamin K , which mold the shaping of stock clots and sustain healthy bones . Dandelion greens also provideVitamin Cand Ca .
5. They’re Ecological
Small boo eat the seeds , and severalpollinators get ambrosia from the flowers . Allowed to develop fully , taproot can riddle hardpan , a bed of contract soil , to extract calcium from the subsoil . ( Fun fact : blowball origin can grow 10 to 15 foot into the ground ! ) In addition , dandelions are among the first weeds to colonise unbalanced land . That may vocalize bad , but remember ; nature abhors unfinished earth . So - calledweeds competitiveness erosion .
6. They Make a Good Wine
It ’s made by fermentingdandelion teawith yeast , sugar , and citrus . You only expend the petals of the flower drumhead and only from those plant that bloom early in the season for the best flavor .
Ways to Use Dandelion Greens
Do you like abstract vegetable into meals whenever possible ? Try have hearty soups and stews : you could easily slip in nutritious veg . Dandelion greens are no unlike . slue up the leaves and add them to other salad K . thrash them in a sandwich oromelet . They also work well in pasta dishes .
How to Grow Dandelions
You ’re kidding , proper ? They ’re indestructible . They do n’t need any help ! True , which is why you postulate tokeep them from becoming a nuisance . If you require to grow them to wipe out , plant them in big containers in full sun . Regularly crop the prime stem so they ca n’t go to seeded player . Andharvest leaves when they ’re still small , so they ’re more tender and less bitter . Finally , although they do n’t ask fertilizer , you could give them a dead reckoning of water system - soluble plant food for thought once a calendar month to promote more leaf growth .
determine to keep dandelion in your landscape can be a controversial determination . Still , these feisty small plants can benefit you and your yard . Whether you use blowball to feed wildlife and fight erosion or you get laid to add them to your salad , there are slew of blowball to go around . So hesitate a moment before you put down them . They have a variety of bionomical uses , and their nutrient can even benefit your health .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Dandelion leaves can add color and nutrition to any just about any recipe that calls for greens.Credit: Jason Donnelly
