Dandelion

Origin: Eurasia and North America

Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subribe: Crepidinae
Scientific Name: Taraxum officinale

Folk Names: Blowball, cankerwort, lion’s tooth, piss-a-bed, priest’s crown, puffball, white endive, wild endive

Magical

Element: Air
Day: Thursday
Planet: Jupiter
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: Floralia
Deities: Brighid, Green George, Hecate

Parts used: Root, leaf, flower, seed

Magical Properties: Psychic awareness, vitality, divination, wishes

Magical Uses

• Drink dandelion tea to promote psychic awareness.
• Make a wish while blowing the seeds off the seed head into the wind.

Botanical

Type: Herbaceous plant
Plant size: 5-40cm
Stems: 1-10 straight stems with a milky latex when broken, ending in one flower
Leaves: 4-45cm long and 1-10cm wide, with deeply notched, hairless leaves
Flowers: Bright yellow flowers with many layers of petals
Fruit: 2-3mm slender seeds, with long silky attachments up to 6mm wide

Etymology: Taraxacum comes from the Arabic word tarakhshagog for a bitter herb.

In the Garden

Type: Perennial
Sow: Spring
Light: Shade
Water: Keep moist
Soil: Rich soil

While dandelions are a common weed, they have a number of uses and thus can be grown intentionally. While you can just use common dandelions (although be certain they aren’t a “false dandelion”, as many other plants look similar), there are a number of varieties that can be prettier, or be more effective for certain uses.

Dandelions are obviously incredibly easy to grow, but these are optimal conditions for harvesting leaves and roots.

References:
https://www.ediblewildfood.com/dandelion.aspx