Areas, where Dandelions grow, are being destroyed every day. This wildflower often finds itself beneath the blades of the lawn mowers, as we forget how important are they to the pollinators. Bees love Dandelions especially much, they definitely are bees‘ best friends. The main reason for this is because they are among their earliest sources of food. Dandelions are the first wildflower we see in spring as they are flowering from late March to May. Its flowers have a lot of nectar and pollen which are a lifesaver for bees that early!
Dandelion got its name from the French dent de lion which translation is: “lion’s tooth”. The relation between the name and the flower itself is based on the toothed leaves of the Dandelion. The Latin name for Dandelion is Taraxacum Officinale.
This wildflower is among the most unpopular wild plants because of its properties. It is really difficult to dig it out. However, Dandelions find a way of appearing in the most unexpected places. All they need is a little ground, a crack between walls and sidewalks, where usually we would not expect to see any plant what so ever.
Besides the fact that bees love Dandelions and they are amazing for them, they are also very useful for us. Herbalists use dandelions to treat colds, hot flushes, skin conditions, low blood pressure, asthma, poor blood circulation. The young leaves are full of antioxidants and vitamins and they are edible as well.
So, if we want to see the bees and other pollinators flying around the Dandelions, collecting the bucketful of pollen and nectar that this flower offers, we should stop digging out and destroying Dandelions with the mowing of our lawns. We can all make some exceptions and take a couple of weeks off of the lawn mowing. We will have the reward of bees buzzing around us and happily collecting their pollen and nectar.