Leave the dandelions alone - let them grow for wildlife (2024)
It is always a puzzle as to why people hate Dandelions. They are very pretty wildflowers that are so important to insects – bees, hoverflies and other pollinators. For early-emerging bees they provide a lifeline of nectar when flowers are so scarce in early spring. A lawn without Dandelions is a dead place for wildlife, with no benefit at all for local biodiversity.
Dandelions are hardy perennial wildflowers, growing to about 12 inches in height. Their bright yellow flowers and rosette of notched leaves makes them easily identifiable. The flowers open in the morning and close at night and, undisturbed, Dandelions can live for 13 years or more – that’s a lot of nectar for a lot of insects! The leaves were deemd to look like lions’ teeth, hence the plant’s name – “dent le lion”. In Germany the plant was known as “lowenzahn”, which also means lion’s tooth.
Dandelions represent the three celestial bodies – the sun (flowers), the moon (the fluffy seedhead) and the stars (the individual seeds). A common childhood game is to blow the seeds from the seedhead (clock) and make a wish as they blow away.
Dandelions have been almost revered in the past – before lawns they were appreciated for their food provision, medicine and magic properties. Indeed, the young leaves can be used in salads and the roots to make a kind of coffee. They are a source of vitamins, calcium, iron and potassium, and were used in folk medicine to treat all sorts of ailments, eg, dandruff, toothache, sores, fever, depression and as a diuretic (but, of course, always consult a qualified herbalist before taking!).
It may surprise you to know that Dandelions are actually beneficial to lawns! Their deep tap roots pull nutrients from the soil and makes them available to the grass and other plants too. It is in a way criminal to wildlife to use herbicides to kill dandelions. Insects need them as a valuable nectar source. Insects are in deep decline – indeed, it has been shown that “over 40% of all insects are declining, and a third are endangered. The data suggests that the rate of decline is at least 2.5% per year.” (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2019/february/the-world-s-insect-populations-are-plummeting-everywhere-we-look.html). There are millions of gardens in the UK, just imagine how much help they could give wildlife if they all let their Dandelions grow!
The use of pesticides, herbicides and so on are lethal to wildlife. They are used to kill “weeds” but these so-called weeds are wildflowers that are important to wildlife. Kill them off and you are depriving wildlife of habitat and food and, in turn, you are affecting bird populations who rely on these insects (and seeds of these “weeds” for food.. Pesticides turn areas that would flourish with biodiversity into green deserts where only grass grows. They also linger in the soil for ages, keeping their carcinogenic properties going.
So have a little think before you mow your lawn or grab the weedkiller – think about the consequences of those actions. Get rid of your weedkiller, mow a bit less often and you will be rewarded with a more diverse and beneficial environment in your garden for wildlife.
Birds, bees and butterflies can all benefit from the hardy yellow blooms, says U of A horticulturist. Nothing can threaten a velvety green lawn like vagabond dandelions-but it isn't all bad, says a University of Alberta gardening expert.
Yes, dandelions can be good for your yard. These yellow weeds act as an early food source for pollinators and honeybees in your yard and help aerate compacted soil. When they decompose, they can provide the soil with healthy nutrition, as well.
The cause of dandelions in your yard can depend on several factors, such as extended warm periods, excess moisture in the soil, and sunny days, that encourage growth and germination of these weeds. Dandelion numbers can also be attributed to the previous year's growing conditions.
Dubow says dandelions are masters at growing where nothing else can. “They are among the first weeds to colonize disturbed land where other plants won't grow.
Here are five reasons why you may want to leave behind the herbicides: The dandelion plant's long taproot pulls up nutrients deep in the soil and makes them available to nearby plants. Dandelions are a scrumptious forage plant for your livestock. Dandelions are an early food source for pollinators.
“Instead of getting consumed with tearing weeds out of your lawn, consider leaving them alone and let nature reclaim its place in your garden,” says Chris Bonnett, gardener and founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk. “Embracing weeds can help support biodiversity, enhance the soil and conserve water.”
The leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system. Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to help kidney function.
Not only are dandelion greens safe to eat, but they also provide a range of health benefits. All parts of a dandelion plant are edible, from the top of the yellow flower down to the roots. The green leaves of the dandelion can make a healthy addition to salads, sandwiches, omelets, and more.
Chipping, field, house, song and white-throated sparrows, American goldfinches, and indigo buntings are but a few of the many songbirds that devour dandelion seeds. Dandelions also show up in the diets of bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, rabbits, white-tailed deer and eastern chipmunks.
Whether you use dandelions to feed wildlife and fight erosion or you love to add them to your salad, there are plenty of dandelions to go around. So pause a moment before you destroy them. They have a variety of ecological uses, and their nutrients can even benefit your health.
Yes, dogs can eat dandelion and although we might think of this pesky plant as nothing more than a weed, it's actually very nutritious and has a host of health benefits. Every part of the dandelion plant is non-toxic to dogs and safe to eat, so it doesn't matter if your dog munches a leaf, a root, or a flower.
For this reason, Post-Bulletin writer John Molseed recently advised in his Greenspace column to let them grow for the first part of the season rather than immediately mowing them down. “The flowers are an important food source for pollinators — especially bees,” he noted. Dandelions provide both pollen and nectar.
To begin with, mow regularly to crop dandelions even before they grow. Raise the mower height so it doesn't clip the grass too short. You may also want to water the grass, so it gets thicker.
You can harvest the flowers, leaves and roots each spring or fall and store for later use by drying the plant parts. There are several ways to dry dandelions for tea. You can simply leave the dandelions out in the sun to dry them and prevent oxidation.
Dandelions are perennial weeds, living several years. They lose their leaves in the fall, then grow again in the spring. The best time to control them is in the fall when dandelions are transferring sugars from the leaves down into the roots for winter storage.
The dandelions when they are in the young stage, like the seedling stage, are most affected by the herbicide. The weeds and dandelions can be sprayed in all seasons, in case the month would be October to mid-November.
Dandelion is generally considered safe. Some people may have an allergic reaction from touching dandelion. Others may get mouth sores. If you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigold, chamomile, yarrow, daisies, or iodine, you should avoid dandelion.
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Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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