Dandelions & Forget Me Nots

 

Forget Me Nots & A Dandelion. 

Happy National Wildflower Week!

Forget-me-not, Myosotis sylvatica. The word "Myosotis" in the species name comes from Greek words meaning "mouse ear."

Forget Me Nots & Dandelions

Dandelions

Taraxacum are one of the first foods for native bees in spring. Before the invention of lawns, people praised dandelions as a bounty of food, medicine and magic. Gardeners often weeded out the grass to make room for the dandelions. But somewhere in the twentieth century, humans decided that the dandelion was a weed. Dandelions are good for your lawn. Their roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. While most think they’re a lawn killer, dandelions actually fertilize the grass.

For millenniums, people have been using dandelion tonics to help the liver remove toxins from the bloodstream and as a gentle diuretic that provides nutrients and helps the digestive system. Dandelions are actually more nutritious than most of the vegetables in your garden. The flowers, leaves, & roots can be used as food and medicine. The flowers can be used to make wine. Dried or roasted roots can be used as a no-caffeine coffee substitute.

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.