If you’re wondering if dandelions are good for you, the answer is a resounding YES for most people. Growing dandelions to eat is some of the cheapest superfood you can grow!
Yes! Growing Dandelions on Purpose!
Many people dread those early yellow blossoms in spring of the common dandelion as a dreaded weed to combat. But the bees and other pollinators love dandelion plants and we do too. Not only are we not interested in getting rid of the dandelions in our yard, we’re actually growing dandelions to eat! That’s right… we PLANTED some dandelions on purpose!!
DANDELIONS: Don’t kill ’em… grow ’em and eat ’em❣️😎💚
Dandelion Latin Name:
- Taraxacum officinale
Dandelion Common Names:
- Dandelion
- Dandy
- Dandies
- Lion’s tooth
- Blowball
Our favorite edible weed plant is the dandelion. We especially love dandelion salads with toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts and roasted garlic and balsamic dressing. Here’s that dandelion greens recipe we use most often because it’s a delicious, quick and easy recipe: Dandelion greens salad recipe.
We also use dandelion greens for green juice and the roots as well as dried leaves and flowers for dandelion tea for detoxing and tonifying the liver[1]https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/dandelion
From cursed weed to natural cancer cure… don’t kill the mighty dandelion!
Dandelion Nutrition – Taraxacum Officinale
Dandelions
- More vitamin A than spinach
- More vitamin C than tomatoes
- Ample iron, calcium and potassium
- Provide food and medicine, from root to leaf to flower
You can find a more extensive breakdown of nutrition in a cup of dandelion greens in this article on dandelion salad nutrition and benefits.
What Parts of the Dandelion Can You Eat?
All of the dandelion plant is edible. This lion of a plant is about more than just the dandelion leaves. From root to stem, flowers to leaves and even the dandelion seeds, the entire plant is edible and medicinal with many dandelion benefits for health and enjoyment.
Dandelions are SUCH an amazing little powerhouse of a plant, that our future farming visions include the possibility of growing dandelions to eat and to sell commercially.
Meanwhile, we’ve got some growing in our hugelkultur beds for the past couple years and have planted new ones this year.
Dandelion Side Effects
Dandelions are not poisonous or toxic.[2]https://www.poison.org/articles/plant
People who are allergic to related plants such as ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies, may not be able to enjoy dandelions. Also, dandelion stems contain latex, so anyone with allergies to these plants or related allergenic substances should approach with care and caution.
~SOURCE: NCCIH.NIH.Gov
Dandelion for Detox
Popular for detox, dandelion root tea is a powerful ally in health and wellness. However, some people may experience unpleasant discomfort in the lower back area of the kidneys.
While it’s not uncommon to experience some areas of discomfort during any kind of detoxification, if this happens to you, it’s best to discontinue consumption and check with your doctor. A good naturopathic or herbal medicine practitioner should also be able to guide you in a safe detoxification process, with knowledge to guide you through and according to any symptoms.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this article and website cannot be construed as medical, nutrition or health advice. We are not medical professionals and are only sharing information gleaned from our own experience and research.
Dandelion Leaves are Edible
We LOVE the dandelion green leaves for salad greens!! Just writing this, my mouth is watering and I’m longing for a huge bowl of green leaves with a couple dandelion flower heads for garnish for the pop of color and nutrition. Our favorite dandelion salad greens recipe is with balsamic vinegar and toasted hazelnuts.
Okay, so I went out to the garden and harvested some dandy greens and am enjoying that salad even now, along with some wild violet tea that was harvested and dried this past week, in spring of 2022.
Most people prefer the tender dandelion leaves that are harvested before flowering because they’re less bitter. I’ve found dandelion greens to be more flavorful in spring and more bland when harvested in fall.
However, I love them anyway I can get them. Served with a little balsamic vinegar with olive oil and roasted garlic, toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts tossed with a little feta crumbled and/or boiled egg (both optional) and man… it’s a taste I never grow tired of.
- Yes, you Can Eat Dandelion Flowers
- Dandelion Roots Are Edible
- Even Dandelion Seeds Are Edible
CAUTION: DANDELION ALLERGIES
We enjoy eating dandelion greens and drinking dandelion tea so much that we actually planted a crop of dandelions in our experimental hugelkultur bed. We had to be patient though because you can’t start harvesting dandelions until the second year. Now we’re enjoying the dandelion greens so much that we planted more.
GARDEN SNIPPET:
Don’t discard the dandelions… eat them or dry them for tea! Dandelions offer tremendous nutrients and detox directly from nature’s medicine cabinet.
~GardensAll.com
A Market for Wild Roots and Weeds
Many in the GardensAll and Planting for Retirement communities are interested in earning money from their surplus produce as well as figuring out how to earn a living growing intentional crops for market.
Growing dandelions for profit may just be one good option, IF you also like dandelions. If you’re growing to sell, be sure it’s a crop you also enjoy.
We like the idea of earning money growing and selling these nutrient packed powerhouse of a plant that delivers food and medicine from every part of its being.
Dandelions deliver food and medicine from root to leaf and flower.
The Dandelion Market
In 2014, these were the going rates in the Kentucky market, as published on ProfitsFromNature.com.[3]https://www.profitsfromnature.com/may-root-prices-kentucky/ Naturally, prices will fluctuate each season and year, so always check with your local buyers.
Herbs – Price per Dried Pound
- Goldenseal $18.50
(Note: Most dealers don’t want you to start digging any goldenseal until June because the quality will be better then.) - Goldenseal tops $5.00
(Note: Dried tops must be green in color, not brown. Do not dry in direct sunlight.) - Bloodroot $12.50
- Virginia Snake Root $100.00
- Star Grub Root $75.00
- Mayapple $3.50
- Black Cohosh $3.75
- Prickly Ash Bark $2.00
- Dandelion Root $1.00
Dandelion Greens
- $2-$4/lb for Fresh Dandelion Greens currently retail from between $2-$4/lb in the NC area grocery stories and sometimes more for organic.
- $27/lb for Dried Dandelion Leaves – average price in bulk; costs a lot more in tea bags
Naturally, to sell dried dandelion leaves would require a commercial dehydration or freeze drying system, which can be costly. However, if you’re investing in any kind of farming of specialty crops, this would definitely be worth researching.
Plan for Waste
Consider the possibilities of after market and added value products for any crop you plan to grow. If you’re growing elderberries, for instance, consider the prospect of selling frozen elderberries and/or jams and syrups.
To plan for added value products converts possible excess crops and market leftovers into more profitable items.
If you’re growing dandelions as a specialty crop for profit, please drop us a note. We’d love to chat with you to learn more. We can also add your information and farm name and link to this article as well.
Herbs and Weeds for Healthier Consumers
Here’s an excerpt on Yankee Magazine that sums up the marketability and market potential of growing and selling edible weeds. Though this is a bit dated, it gives you an idea of trends.</