Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg. agg.
Botanical family: Asteraceae
A universal perennial with a rosette and yellow flowers, followed by the achenes in a 'dandelion clock' carried by the wind. Everything is eaten (leaves in salad, buds, roasted root), and the plant is traditionally used as a cleanser and a bitter tonic of digestion.
Sun to partial shade
All types, even compacted
Moderate, prefers moist soil
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A precious 'weed': very nectar-bearing flowers (a vital early resource in early spring), a taproot reputed to loosen the soil, edible leaves. An entirely useful plant.
Companions
No companion planting is documented for this plant: no recommended neighbour, no neighbour to avoid.
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Leaves from March to June, flowers in April and May, root in autumn.
Available: March, April, May, June, October, November.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture du pissenlit » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-du-pissenlit)
- Plants For A Future, « Taraxacum officinale » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Taraxacum+officinale)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Generally well tolerated. Not advised in case of obstruction of the bile ducts or gallstones (a cholagogue effect). Gathered close to the ground, the dandelion is among the plants that ANSES cites as exposed to the risk of alveolar echinococcosis (eggs of the fox tapeworm, left by fox or dog droppings on low-growing plants): wash it thoroughly in plenty of water and, if in doubt about whether foxes visit the spot, cook it right through (cooking destroys the eggs, unlike freezing). Gather far from roadsides and sprayed areas.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find dandelion in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Family behaviour: Asteraceae
In general, Asteraceae are a family rich in flowers appreciated by pollinators and beneficials (pot marigold, yarrow, chamomile). It is very scattered, from the mildest lettuce to the allelopathic sunflower.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Medieval French language, the anonymous text of the Évangiles des Quenouilles · France, 15th century (the earlier medieval Latin root 'dens leonis')
The dandelion bears two names that express two views of the plant. 'Dent-de-lion', from the medieval Latin dens leonis, comes from the leaves cut 'into teeth'; 'pissenlit' refers to its diuretic reputation. The attested fact lies in the texts: the word 'pissenlit' appears from the mid-15th century in Les Évangiles des Quenouilles, an anonymous French collection, while the form 'dent de lion' figures in 1513 in Gavin Douglas (Eneados), in Middle Scots and not in French, as the earliest attestation of the English 'dandelion'. While the etymology thus rests on dated sources, the idea of an 'effect in bed' belongs to the popular diuretic reputation and not to measured data.
Les Évangiles des Quenouilles (XVe s.) pour « pissenlit » ; Gavin Douglas, Eneados (1513) pour « dent de lion » ; synthèse étymologique de wordhistories.net (P. Tréguer).
An etymology documented by dated texts, not to be confused with a medical fact: the diuretic reputation of the dandelion remains a popular interpretation, never presented here as a measured health claim. One also distinguishes the French attestation ('pissenlit') from the Middle Scots form 'dent de lion', whose older root is the medieval Latin 'dens leonis'.
Before you forage
This plant is often gathered from the wild. Only pick what is abundant, never a protected species, and never uproot a whole plant (roots) without the landowner's permission. Rules vary by country and region, check locally.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: all types, even compacted.