A few days ago I drove by Daly Elementary School and saw many children frolicking on the playground among hundreds of Dandelions going to seed. So obviously they had not been sprayed. Then I went to the court house and walking across the lawn I noticed Dandelions sagging over, drooping down, in the throws of death.
We plant yellow Daffodils and yellow Basket of Gold and enjoy yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot but at the same time there is this ‘war’ on our yellow Dandelions. Why? I think it is only a habit. Dandelions are not toxic in any way, shape or form. They are a very beneficial plant that arrived from Europe as most of our ancestors. This plant has been used for centuries as a medicinal and as a potherb. I’ve made delicious wine from the flowers, eaten the greens early in the spring before flowering, and in the fall dried the roots to use in the winter aiding in digestion and for my liver.
Meanwhile, herbicides are used by many home owners and our government and that places toxins on our grass. We walk on lawns, our dogs play there and then our shoes and their feet bring these poisons into our homes and bodies.
Think before you spray and find beauty in this yellow flower and its fluffy seed head.
Suzanna McDougal
Hamilton