The Dandy Plant

They're b-a-c-k...countless Taraxacum Officinale have sprouted on your lawn and in nearby parks and fields. But before you get too trigger-happy with that spray bottle of 'weed-be-gone' consider this: Dandelions provide a valuble food source for many birds, rabbits, and more than 90 different types of insects.
Although the milky sap, or latex, may stain your hands, did you know that it has also been used to treat liver and kidney disorders? How about as a mosquito repellent, and a topical remedy for warts and eczema? And those tender leaves, eaten in salads, are high in vitamins A and C and have more calcium and iron than spinach!
The next time you dig a dandelion out of your lawn, take a good look at the flower. It's actually hundreds of individual florets. After a dandelion blooms, each of its tiny florets produces a seed case attached to its own parachute to form a round cluster of achenes. This feathery globe is sometimes called a clock because a favorite childhood pastime is to determine the time of day by how many puffs it takes to release all the seed cases. Three puffs? Three o'clock! Give it a try.
Other names for this widely used herb include priest's crown, Irish daisy, monk's head, telltime, blowball, and lion's tooth.

This is one of my favorite plants! I get excited when I see them. I pick the entire plant (I especially want the root), wash, then dehydrate it. I chop it fine and keep it for tea or make a tincture with it.

What all is the root good for? I am just now starting to learn about how wonderful the dandelion is. I'm also learning about Kudzu, which we have in abundance here in Georgia. I would love to learn more about both plants.

The root is especially good as a diuretic. The active compounds are concentrated in the roots. They have a perfect balance of both diuretic & potassium. It's almost like it was designed that way! Isn't God creative?!

LOL Yep, we have a creative Creator. It never ceases to amaze me how well God established things. Then we had to come along and mess things up. Well, at least we're trying to get back to the way God intended things to be.