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dandelion leaves can be eaten in a salad or sandwich and are also known as wild endive. The leaves contain numerous vitamins including more vitamin A than carrots.
Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile.
Every part of the dandelion is useful with the root, leaves, and flowers used for food, medicine and dye.
The dandelion is considered to be the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars, with the yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.
The dandelion flower, rather endearingly, opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep, and in homeopathy, dandelion essence is used to treat overexertion and the feeling of doing too much – no coincidence they flower at this busy time of year then.
And of course the clever dandelion has also developed another ingenious way to get its seeds spread far and wide. As the flowerheads turn to seed, children (and adults) everywhere
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rush to pick them, so that they can close their eyes, make a wish, and blow the seeds into the air. In addition to granting wishes, many people believe that dandelion seeds will carry your thoughts and dreams to loved ones when you blow them into the air.
This in turn has lead to the lovely phrase that when people see a dandelion, some see a weed and some see a wish!