Can you really make tyres from dandelions?
You can indeed. The Kazakh dandelion, Taraxacum kok-saghyz, a rare species from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, produces a high-quality latex in its roots. This has been harvested and manufactured into winter car tyres, which are currently going through road tests in Germany.
Rubber from dandelions is remarkably similar to that sourced from Hevea rubber trees, mostly grown in South-East Asia, and would be a far more sustainable option. Dandelions can be cultivated on existing farmland (so no rainforest needs to be felled), and may be a viable candidate for marginal or contaminated land. They can be grown hydroponically (without soil) and aeroponically (suspended from the air), so could be grown on indoor vertical farms, which have a lower physical footprint than field crops (though field production would equally provide a valuable pollen and nectar source for bees). Systems are also being designed that allow the rubber-filled roots to be harvested from the same plant several times a year.
Research is now underway to determine whether Kazakh dandelions could become a new commercial rubber source. Field yields are currently too low for farming to be a viable option in developed countries – the plants need to be more vigorous and productive, and better weed control is required. When all of this is achieved, dandelion rubber could initially supplement, and eventually replace, the Hevea rubber supply. Katrina Cornish