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Megan Nalli

Honors Biology ~ 2nd Period

Mrs. Bickford

18 May 2011

Trash or Treasure?

         Most every groundskeeper—whether private or an actual vocation—knows the battle of the dreaded Dandelion. Originally from Europe and naturalized into the  Americas, the Lion's Tooth, also known as the dandelion is rich in important vitamins such as A, B, and C (Bergeron, Jackson) The short statured—the average height being barely a foot in height—plant is easily recognizable by its dark green, deeply serrated leaves that produce a milky substance when cut and cooled. When in bloom, short yellow flowers resembling a lion's mane (hence the name) sprout from the center of the clump. After pollination is when the white wishing puffs, an amazing way to disperse seeds, appear.

         Despite being considered an unsightly menace, the culinary and medicinal uses of the herb far outweigh the annoyance of gardeners. The dandelion's fresh root juice has an anti-bacterial action that inhibits bacterial strains such as staphococcus aureus and meningococci (Bergeron, Jackson). The Native Americans boiled the plant down to help with issues such as kidney disease and problems with liver functions while the Chinese used it for treatments in mainly digestive disorders and lack of milk flow. Europeans tended to use it for heartburn and sandwiches (umm.edu).

         The natural habitat of the plant is just about anywhere a plant can grow. Decidous forests, pine forests, and abandoned pastures make good homes for the sturdy plant. (Wiggington). Eliot Wiggington, the co-author/editor of the Foxfire series and native of Appalachia, lists mainly the uses of the herb as food and drink, but even he seems to underestimate what it can mean for Georgia and the other Sun Belt states: reduced natural waste. The easy to grow—look out at a school yard and there will be some there—and easier to use herb is one way to teach students about their culture and the way people survived before modern medicine. As a teaching tool, it is nearly invaluable. As a potential substitute for lettuce—its roots are already used in some coffees as a stretcher—it has its quirks. Few people want to eat something they consider a common weed, even fewer would even recognize it as an herb. This is truly a pathetic notion. There is so little knowledge of traditional remedies and foods left that any little thing can prove helpful re-instituting them, at least some of the remedies.

         The uses of natural resources can be a dangerous slide when it comes to what to use and what not to use. If dandelions are added to the equations regarding food, medicine, and other chemicals, then maybe it can be lessened and people may earn a little money scavenging for the miracle weed.





“Dandelion” umm.edu. 5 December 2008. A.D.A.M. Web. 17 May 2011

Bergeron, Karen; Jackson, Deb. Altnature.com. np. nd. Web. 17 May 2011

Wiggington, Eliot. Foxfire 2. New York: Anchor Books, 1973. Print.



http://www.mylawnadvice.com/broadleafweeds.html  ((use the dandelion pic and then label parts!! Don't forget to cite!!!!))