I Love Dandilions : Edible Awesomeness

Everybody knows about dandelions, but not everybody knows what a useful plant they are! They are often disregarded as weeds, but dandelions are full of goodness that you can use! The roots, the stems, the leaves and even the flowers are all edible and can help to keep your liver healthy and functioning well. When the flowers go to seed, you might not want to munch down on that part only because they are not all that tasty, but otherwise, you can use the whole thing in salads or simply on their own. The roots are best in tea and it actually kind of makes a decent coffee substitute.

Cultivating Dandelions

It doesn’t bother me to have a ton of dandelions growing in my yard, but I live in a rural area. For some cultivating dandelions can be a fun way to work with this plant. They are actually incredibly easy to take care of and they actually improve and purify the soil that they are planted on. just gather the seeds from a puff ball and plant them in your soil. they should sprout up soonish and require very little maintenance. I often offer my dandelions water and songs just to give them an extra kick, but generally they will do fine even if you leave them on their own.

Dandelion Folklore, and Magickal Properties

Dandelions have been used for divination in many cultures. Some say that if you, close your eyes, think of your lover and blow on a dandelion that you will know if your Love is true if there are no seeds left when you are finished blowing. Some say that a dandelion can help one grant wishes by holding the dandelion and focusing it for a moment then releasing it as you blow the seeds – if the seeds are carried away by the wind and don’t hit the ground while you can still see them, your wish will be granted. There are others who used Dandelions to tell the weather forecast – perhaps this is because they are a very accurate way to tell which way the wind is blowing.

Dandelions perform a service of purifying soil, and strengthening our livers which are in charge of purifying our blood. This coupled with the life stages of the dandelion point towards its association with transformation and change. Dandelions can be used as medicine in this way to help one cope with and embrace change.