Lancashire Photographer
From flower to seed head
Common dandelion
Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale
Biology:
Dandelion flowers from May to October but most profusely in May and June. A period of low temperature seems to intensify flowering but daylength does not have a great influence. Seedlings that emerge in spring may flower in their first year. Established plants that bloom in spring can flower again in autumn. The time from flowering to seed ripening is about 9-12 days. The fruiting period is from April to June. A flower head can produce up to 400 seeds but the average is 180. A plant may have a total of 2,000 to 12,000 seeds. Cut down flower stems do not produce any viable seed.
Dandelion seeds are wind dispersed and may travel up to 500 miles from the parent. Seeds have been recovered from irrigation water and can survive submergence for 9 months. Viable seeds have been found in cattle and horse droppings. Seedlings have been raised from the droppings of various birds.
As Food and Drink:
Did you know you can make wine out of Dandelions? There are lots of recipes for making Dandelion wine on-line. Or that the young leaves go great in salads? In fact, the family of plants that the Dandelion belongs to also includes lettuce! If you let a lettuce plant go to flower in your garden you'll see what I mean. And the roots of dandelions can serve as a coffee substitute when baked and ground. (Hint: if you are a real coffee aficionado, don't try this.) Hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or in this case if you have a yard full of Dandelions eat'em and drink'em. Apparently, you can make green and yellow dyes from the flowers, too.
From flower to seed head
Common dandelion
Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale
Biology:
Dandelion flowers from May to October but most profusely in May and June. A period of low temperature seems to intensify flowering but daylength does not have a great influence. Seedlings that emerge in spring may flower in their first year. Established plants that bloom in spring can flower again in autumn. The time from flowering to seed ripening is about 9-12 days. The fruiting period is from April to June. A flower head can produce up to 400 seeds but the average is 180. A plant may have a total of 2,000 to 12,000 seeds. Cut down flower stems do not produce any viable seed.
Dandelion seeds are wind dispersed and may travel up to 500 miles from the parent. Seeds have been recovered from irrigation water and can survive submergence for 9 months. Viable seeds have been found in cattle and horse droppings. Seedlings have been raised from the droppings of various birds.
As Food and Drink:
Did you know you can make wine out of Dandelions? There are lots of recipes for making Dandelion wine on-line. Or that the young leaves go great in salads? In fact, the family of plants that the Dandelion belongs to also includes lettuce! If you let a lettuce plant go to flower in your garden you'll see what I mean. And the roots of dandelions can serve as a coffee substitute when baked and ground. (Hint: if you are a real coffee aficionado, don't try this.) Hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or in this case if you have a yard full of Dandelions eat'em and drink'em. Apparently, you can make green and yellow dyes from the flowers, too.