I love seeing dandelion seeds spill from the seed head and being carried off in the wind.
The book Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife writes this about dandelions: “No weed is more successful than the dandelion. Its leaves exude an ethylene gas that discourages competition. A small fragment of its gluttonous taproot will grow into a new plant. Its parachute-borne fruits can stay aloft almost indefinitely as long as the relative humidity is less than 70 percent—which means that when the humidity rises (often before a life-giving rain), dandelion seeds come to earth.”
Rant
I am not sure why there has been a campaign over decades to vilify and eradicate dandelions. The flowers, leaves, and taproot are edible and nutritious. Insects visit the flowers for nectar and pollen. I regularly see birds such as goldfinches and juncos eating the seeds. I’m sure there are many insects and small mammals that eat the seeds as well. There is absolutely no reason to create and market poisons to kill such a beautiful and beneficial plant. Moreover, every child on earth delights in picking these fluffy seed heads and blowing the seeds into the air to make a wish.
Resources
Wernert, Susan J. Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife. Updated ed, Reader’s Digest Association, 2000.
