Common Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale, the dandelion or common dandelion, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the daisy family, well known for its yellow flower heads that mature into round, silver-tufted seed heads dispersed by the wind and often called clocks or blowballs. Originally native to Eurasia, its hardiness and easy propagation have carried it across southern Africa, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, and it thrives in a wide range of environments and moist temperate soils, tolerant of crowding and temperature extremes. Though often treated as a lawn weed, it is increasingly valued in its native range for attracting birds and pollinating insects, ranking as the fourth most important pollen source in one study, and its leaves, flowers and roots are sometimes used as food and in herbal medicine.