Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale )
I don't think anyone has a hard time growing this herb.. and in fact most people struggle to get rid of it
Its very easily distinguished with its yellow flower top, and the lawn looks so much better after you mow them down. As such I was thinking today, and after uprooting several dozen.
But, Dandelion is good for you as a mild stimulant and for the liver, kidneys, and urinary tract.
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In former days, Dandelion Juice was the favourite preparation both in official and domestic medicine. Provincial druggists sent their collectors for the roots and expressed the juice while these were quite fresh. Many country druggists prided themselves on their Dandelion Juice. The most active preparations of Dandelion, the Juice (Succus Taraxaci) and the Extract (Extractum Taraxaci), are made from the bruised fresh root. The Extract prepared from the fresh root is sometimes almost devoid of bitterness. The dried root alone was official in the United States Pharmacopoeia.
The chief constituents of Dandelion root are Taraxacin, acrystalline, bitter substance, of which the yield varies in roots collected at different seasons, and Taraxacerin, an acrid resin, with Inulin (a sort of sugar which replaces starch in many of the Dandelion family, Compositae)
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botanical.com - A Modern Herbal | Dandelion - Herb Profile and Information
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While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners and lawn owners, the plant does have several culinary and medicinal uses. Dandelions are grown commercially at a small scale as a leaf vegetable.
The plant can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad. They are probably closest in character to mustard greens. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, carrying more iron and calcium than spinach.[3]
Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. The recipe usually contains citrus fruit.
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Dandelion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
