Scientific Name - Taraxacum officinale

Properties - Diuretic, laxative, appetite stimulant, blood builder, antiseptic, tonic, wound healing, carminative

Common Uses - The root may be roasted, then ground and added to coffee or chocolate, or used as a "coffee substitute." Dandelion greens may be used instead of spinach as a cooked vegetable or in salad. To remove the bitter taste, you can blanch the leaves in boiling water. Dandelion wine is a popular folk tonic.

Parts Used - Roots, Leaves

Locating & Handling - If you don't have them in your own yard, collect the seeds from wild plants and plant them in the spring.

Caution - None

Origin - Native to Europe and Asia. First recorded in 10th century Arabian medical journals.