Herb Spotlight: Dandelion

Flux: that seems like a great descriptor for March. Part way in winter, part way in spring. Warm days, cold days, sunny days, snow days. A bit of all the things happen in March.

I definitely turn to herbs to help with this transition. Mainly, I turn to herbs that help me feel lighter, either mentally, emotionally or physically. These are herbs that help to detoxify my body or that taste bright.

Taste plays a huge role in what I reach for when I want to support myself mentally or emotionally. It’s the tea version of comfort food. 😊 When the seasons transition, I like to reach for herbs that are associated with the season to come. It’s my way of looking forward and embracing the shifts.

Physically, I look at how my body is feeling and where I need support. Is it sleep that seems to be suffering? Then I start to incorporate the herbs that help to relax and calm me in the evenings. Am I feeling rather sluggish in my belly area? I start adding in herbs that will help to move things along and increase digestion. Just a general feeling of being off? I reach for nourishing herbs that are nutrient-rich.

Let’s look at a common spring herb in a possibly new light.

Image by Dirk (Beeki®) Schumacher from Pixabay

Dandelion

Once a valued resource, the dandelion is now on the receiving end of curses and sprays as people try to remove this prolific herb from their lawns and garden beds.

It’s a multi-seasonal herb in that the fresh growth of spring leaves are tender enough to add into your salads and soups. The summer flowers are used in infusing oils (internal or external use). The roots are bitter and stimulating in the spring. Harvest the roots in the fall for a more nourishing effect.

Personally, dandelion is commonly added into my daily practice through my tea rituals, though you can take it as a tincture, as a food, or as an external application (infused oils).

Dandelion has a multidimensional purpose as one of our herbal allies. The first is that it is bitter. The leaves are milder in the spring when they are small and become more bitter as the season moves. Why would you want to include something bitter?

A little background on how our bodies work. Smell is the first step in digestion. Next up is the food acting upon our tongue receptors. Those two things tell our bodies to begin the digestive process. When you consume bitter foods it activates digestion and metabolism much more effectively. The bitter taste stimulates the secretion of bile, gastric enzymes and pancreatic enzymes. While we can say that it increases appetite, it does so while it also curbs overeating.

Why would we want to include this plant in our spring rituals?

For me, I want to feel lighter after the heavier foods of winter. Dandelion supports both kidney and liver functions. It’s a diuretic; one of the good ones. It encourages your body to eliminate uric acid (metabolic waste). Yet the leaf is a great source of potassium and other minerals, replenishing your body rather than depleting it. Herbalists may include dandelion when assisting your body with water retention, urinary and prostate infections, gout, arthritis, or rheumatism.

The root is also amazing and is what I tend to use the most. Here is the bitter along with the sweet (starch). A liver tonic which means it supports the liver in performing its role in our bodies. We’re looking at how it helps remove the metabolic wastes and excess hormones from our bodies. It’s that combination of stimulating digestion mentioned earlier along with the starches providing food for our good gut bacteria. Add in the diuretic effect and you have this great system of support for your liver. All this can ease inflammation in your body.

Are you looking at dandelion in a new light yet?

Contemplating its growing habits, I am in awe of the humble dandelion. Think about where you find dandelion growing. Can you think of a place it doesn’t grow?? Whether you live in the city, suburbs, or rural areas, you will find dandelion.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Let’s look at dandelion’s tenacity as a positive. Here is a plant that teaches us about persisting in spite of setbacks. Mow it and it grows back. Try to pull it out by its roots and inevitably, not all the root comes out. That piece of root picks itself up (metaphorically) and keeps going.

The dandelion is creative. It grows wherever there is just the smallest space for it. The dandelion thrives in your lawn just as well as a crack in the concrete.

Spring brings these tenacious, bitter herbs for us to enjoy. In nature it is a time of growth and on the medicine wheel this season is all about action. In what ways can you embrace dandelion’s qualities in your own life?