Weeds

It’s May. That season when life bursts forth with delirious enthusiasm. Grass grows inches each day, birdsong overwhelms the quiet mornings. Grey and brown are replaced by a glorious palette of greens.

And amidst those greens, little bursts of yellow— the neat, ubiquitous dandelion.

Humans, it seems, have a love-hate relationship with the plant many consider a weed. Endless products have been designed specifically to eradicate it from lawns and gardens, and it persistently returns, despite the chemicals and gadgets and home remedies for removal.

And yet, the human race has been living with and relying on what is one of the most recognizable edible weeds since prehistory.

Unlike some other weeds that have gardeners pulling their hair out, the dandelion is native to the entire northern hemisphere. Despite being a nuisance, this member of the aster family is a naturally occurring one.

And a useful one at that. Bees consider dandelions a significant early food source as they recover from winter. With frighteningly waning populations, an abundance of dandelions is an important factor in helping along an important pollinator.

Under the ground, the dandelion’s long, thin taproot is handy to aerate the soil, creating the pockets other plants need to breathe and that the soil itself needs to avoid erosion. The roots are difficult to pull, since they dig so deep, but anyone who’s managed to see the root, which can grow to be about the size of a carrot, will know how much it can open up the soil.

(Anyone who hasn’t is likely up for a nasty surprise. If the taproot remains intact in the ground, the plant simply rebuilds. Dandelions are stubborn creatures.)

The whole plant is edible, from the taproot to the leaves to the buds and flowers, which have been used in the foods of many cultures, including Chinese and nomadic Europeans. The young leaves can be added to salad, and older ones boiled like spinach. The flowers can be made into wine and the roots into a coffee substitute similar to chicory.

Not convinced? This winter, a Health Canada approved drug trial from a Calgary-based pharmaceutical company began. The trial, based on research from the University of Windsor in Ontario, will test whether a preparation made with the dandelion root can be used as an effective, non-toxic cancer treatment.

The trial isn’t complete but so far, the results are promising. The plant has been found to have the ability to kill cancer cells without any negative side effects.

Let’s face facts. The dandelion, as common as grass, is not going anywhere. No matter how much time we spend tugging and spraying and mowing it out of our gardens and lawns and farms.

So why fight it? Personally, I think few things are more beautiful than that bright yellow reminder of spring. Even if you disagree, perhaps this year you can make an effort to coexist with this neat little plant.

Happy May.

mihal@mihalzada.com