Dandelion

Dm / Bm7 b5

lyrics

When it comes to the dandelion,
It does one dandy,
And, I ain't liein'.

One of the most vitamin rich foods,
That includes,
Protein and manganese,
So, you'd think it'd please?
But, nooooo...
We rip 'em out,
From the root,
Calling it a "pesky weed,
Heaven forbid,
Don't let it breed!"
(Ahh, but I wish we did...
Then, they'd be more out there,
... more for us to share.)

Instead, we spray all day,
And, into the night,
Saying, "Go away!"
But, that ain't right?
We could feed the hungry,
As well as, you and me,
Increasing our vitality,
Though it can cure the ill,
We still...
Want to uproot it,
Make it quit,
Dag nab it!
I could throw a fit,
When I see,
Manicured lawns,
While homeless people,
Are treated like pawns,
So, we poison the soil,
To kill the plants,
Reducing our chance,
Of survival.

Why not concede,
To the weed?
And, with all due respect,
Re-inspect the prospect,
Of changing how we feel,
About a plant that can heal.

It's not too late,
To change our hate:

"Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you!"

(fade out)
She loves me... she loves me not... she loves me... she loves me not.

NOTES

From Hormel Foods:
Dandelion Greens
Refers to the leaves of the Dandelion plant, which are considered a weed in the United States, but are actually one of the most vitamin rich foods available. Mature leaves have a very bitter taste, but younger leaves are milder. They are an excellent salad ingredient and are often cooked as a side dish. The leaves should be washed thoroughly and dried before using.

From the University of Alberta
Garden Plantwatch
PLANTWATCH presents
DANDELION
Taraxacum officinale Weber
ASTERACEAE (Daisy family)

Other names
oIn Latin: Taraxacum officinale Weber oIn English: lion's tooth, blowball, priest's crown, dumble-dor oIn French: pissenlit, dent-de-lion oIn Cree: meoskamewuskos ("spring plant") oIn Slave: eton hlekon ("smells sweet")

Description
oGeneral: Before lawns became fashionable, this widespread and robust plant was carefully cultivated in Europe for its edibility, and was brought over by settlers into North America. Dandelion has a fleshy taproot and milky juice.
oLeaves: The deeply toothed leaves grow in a rosette directly from the root crown. The terminal lobe of each leaf tends to be larger than the lower lobes.
oFlowers: A single cheery-yellow flower head, 2 to 5 cm in diameter, grows on a hollow leafless stalk. The flower heads consist of many ray flowers, surrounded by 2 rows of floral bracts, which are bent backwards (a helpful distinguishing characteristic).
oFruit: When mature, each seed has its own white parachute or pappus of long hair-like bristles. These form into a neat white ball, easily blown apart by the wind or your own breath. An individual flower head produces up to 200 seeds, and each plant up to 5000 seeds.

Distribution
Widespread on disturbed ground especially in settled areas across North America, the species is found from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

Habitat
This introduced species is common on lawns and in disturbed areas where vegetation has been removed or the soil is broken or cultivated. It is found at low to mid elevations.

How to Observe
1.Find an area that will not be mowed until the majority of dandelion blooming is past and seeds have formed. Select a flat area away from buildings and mark with small sticks a one by one metre patch of dandelions.
2.Note that one dandelion plant produces several blooms over time. Dandelion flowers tend to open in sun, and close in cloud and rain. During an ongoing warm period of cloudy weather before blooming starts, flower buds will eventually open. 3.Record the following dates:

First bloom: Record the date when the first flowers have opened in the patch of plants being observed.

Full bloom: Record the date when many flowers are open and the first plant has opened a seed head.

Life Cycle
Many Taraxacum species make healthy seeds without normal fertilization, and the resulting offspring are then identical to the parents. This process is called "apomixis". In apomictic species, fertile pollen is lacking.

Phenology
One of the earliest plants to bloom in the springtime.

Ecology
The seedheads attract seed-eating birds such as finches and pine siskins and small mammals such as mice and chipmunks. Flower heads are "ice-cream food" for black and grizzly bears. The flower heads are sensitive to light, and open in the early morning.

Dandelion is an alternate host for plant diseases such as aster yellows, beet ring spot and tobacco streak.

Human uses
Young dandelion leaves make a good vegetable green, either cooked or in salads. The roots can be ground as a coffee substitute. Wine can be made from the flowers.

Dandelions are rich in vitamins and minerals. The species name "officinale" is a word of early English usage meaning medicinal, and various parts of the plant have been used for their healing properties. A leaf decoction can be drunk to "purify the blood," for the treatment of anemia, jaundice, and also for nervousness. The milky latex can be used as a mosquito repellent. The leaf has proven diuretic (hence the French name "pissenlit" meaning "pee in bed") and also bile-production-stimulating activities. Also, a dye can be obtained from the roots of the plant. The plant is readily eaten by livestock.

Dandelion leaves are considered by Health Canada to be safe to eat, and dandelion root is already marketed as a registered diuretic drug in Canada. Much of the plant is imported from the United States, which seems unnecessary; dandelion is common and could easily be cultivated in Canada. There are commercial products containing dandelion root roasted and used as a coffee substitute and there is some demand for the young leaves and flowers in gourmet salad mixtures.

Dandelion Recipes

Dandelion Flowers 
Ingredients: 
2 cups of dandelion flowers 
4 tsp sesame, or olive oil 
¼ tsp of garlic powder 

Place oil in frying pan and heat to moderate heat. Place flowers in pan and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes. Fry until thoroughly wilted. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Serve as a side garnish. Serves 4.

Dandelion Roots 
Ingredients: 
Several cups of white dandelion roots 
1 cup of your favorite pancake batter, mixed 
2 tbsp safflower oil 
1 onion, chopped 

Wash and peel the dandelion roots. Chop the roots and dip in pancake batter. French-fry in hot safflower oil until brown. A wok works perfectly. Add the chopped onion and serve. Serves 4.

Sautéed Dandelion Leaves and Onion
Variations of this recipe are staples in many Italian households. The sautéed greens are served as an accompaniment to meat or chicken, and leftovers are spread over focaccia. Sometimes the boiled greens are packed in plastic bags and frozen for sautéing in winter. This recipe is adapted from The Little Italy Cookbook, by Toronto food writers Maria Pace and Louise Scaini-Jojic (Warwick Publishing, $16.95).

Ingredients: 
2 large bunches dandelion greens 
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil 
1 small onion 
1 clove garlic, chopped 
Salt and pepper to taste 

Trim the roots off the dandelions. Wash the leaves in several rinses of cold water to remove all dirt. Drain. Bring 2 quarts (2 L) of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the clean dandelion leaves and boil for about eight to ten minutes or until the leaves are completely wilted and tender. Keep pushing the greens down if they float above the boiling water. Drain and allow to cool.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the boiled greens. The dandelion will be greatly reduced in volume. If using long-leafed cultivated greens, chop them. Small greens collected in the wild will not need to be chopped.

In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion over low heat until it softens. Season with salt. Add the garlic and cook a little longer. Add greens and cook until flavours are absorbed and greens are heated through. Taste; add salt if needed. Serve hot.

Approximate nutritional content per serving: Calories 85. Protein 2 g. Carbohydrates 7 g. Dietary fibre 2 g. Sodium 153 mg.

Dandelion Soup 
Ingredients: 
1 lb (500 g) ground beef 
1 egg 
2 tbsp (30 mL) bread crumbs 
2 tbsp (30 mL) parsley, minced 
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt 
3 tbsp (45 mL) parmesan cheese, grated 
2 tbsp (30 mL) sour cream 
Dash of nutmeg and pepper 
2 qts (2 L) chicken soup 
2 qts (2 L) loosely-packed dandelion greens 
Rice or fine egg noodles (if desired) 

Mix the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt parmesan cheese, sour cream, nutmeg and pepper together. Form into small meatballs and set aside. Bring the chicken soup to a boil. Add the dandelion greens and cook gently. Rice or noodles can be added. When greens are tender, add meatballs and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with French bread.

About pesticides
Getting rid of lawn dandelions using pesticides may pose health risks to adults, children and pets. For more information follow these links:

"Lawn pesticides, Environment Canada"
"Pet dogs get cancer from weed killers"

Horticulture
Seeds need to be in the top 2 cm of soil to germinate. Dandelion was carefully cultivated by fur traders at Fort Churchill in northern Manitoba, to help balance a diet lacking in healthy vegetables. Early settlers were also known to tend plots of dandelions, protecting them with chicken wire from hungry ground squirrels (gophers). Unfortunately the plant has been considered a pesky weed of lawn and garden, and its virtues mainly ignored.

Quotes
This cheery and useful plant is perhaps not appreciated as it should be, a sentiment expressed by the following poem:

Dear common flower that grow'st beside the way 
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold 
'Tis the spring's largess which she scatters now 
To rich and poor alike with lavish hand 
Though most hearts never understand 
To take it at God's value, but pass by 
The offered wealth with unrewarded eye. 
     -- James Russell Lowell (in Brown 1970) 

References
Brown, A. 1970. Old Man's Garden. Gray's Publishing Ltd., Sidney, British Columbia.

Clark, L.J. 1976. Wild flowers of the Pacific Northwest. Ed. by J. Trelawny. Gray's Publishing Ltd., Sidney, British Columbia.

Hultén, E. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Lyons, C.P. and B. Merilees. 1995. Trees, shrubs and flowers to know in British Columbia and Washington. Lone Pine Press, Edmonton.

Marles, Robin J. et al. 2000. Aboriginal plant use in Canada's Northwest Boreal Forest. Natural Resources Canada. UBC Press. Vancouver.

Porsild, A.E. and W.J. Cody. 1980. Vascular plants of continental Northwest Territories, Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada. Ottawa.

Royer, F. and R. Dickinson. 1999. Weeds of Canada and the northern United States. Univ. of Alberta Press, and Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton.

Tilford, G.L. 1997. Edible and medicinal plants of the west. Mountain Press Publ. Co. Missoula, Montana.

Ward-Harris, J. 1983. More than meets the eye - the life and lore of western wildflowers. Oxford University Press, Toronto.