Dandelion: Nature's Persistent Healer!

Many of us have done this, myself included. You look out at your garden or lawn one morning with admiration and satisfaction. And then you spot it...a DANDELION! Is your first impulse to rush over and yank out the threatening "weed" before it spreads it's many seeds? Yikes...if you don't remove this all too familiar yellow flower and its jagged leaves, you might end up with a yard full of them! So you want to dig it up and pull it out from the root, or spray it with some questionable weed killing concoction.

A few posts back, I quoted herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner who once referred to the presence of "invasive" plants as "earth's way of insisting we notice her medicine." Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is an excellent example of one such very assertive botanical healer. Those spiky leaves are unsurpassed for reducing water retention. At the same time they replenish the potassium that their pharmaceutical counterparts only serve to leach out of the system. This diuretic property is why, the French affectionately refer to Dandelion as pis-en-lit or "pee the bed."

Any herbalist will sing the praises of Dandelion Root for its ability to aid the digestive process, and you'll often find it paired with Milk Thistle in formulas designed for liver and gall bladder support and detoxification.

The bright yellow dandelion flowers are edible and loaded with health supporting goodies like anti-oxidants and fiber. Aside from helping with digestion, they also have other benefits such as protecting vision and reducing inflammation. Ask any rabbit, deer, bear or one of the other numerous animals that are instinctively drawn to eat them. Perhaps you or some of your distant (or current) relatives have made them into Dandelion wine, an alcoholic elixir that substitutes for other, more expensive table wines and offers the same health benefits plus the promise of a little buzz.

According to herbalist Adriana Ayales, creator of the oracle card pictured above, Dandelion is a "survivor," a plant with the ability to flourish in both friendly and unfriendly environments. She points to the deep tap root that rejuvenates the soil and how it can do the same for us on a physical level. Considering the energetic properties of this plant, she connects the medicine to the archetypal "wounded healer," who teaches us to own our personal pain, "find gratitude in the lessons," and like the Dandelion plant, thrive despite any unfortunate circumstances. "Don't let your pain define your personality, Ayales advises, "but draw from it for strength and purpose."

I believe that one of the special, emotionally healing gifts of Dandelion is most experienced when it takes you back to the simplicity and innocence of childhood as you recall picking the flower in its fluffy seed head stage, making a wish and gently blowing the seeds into the wind.

Remember...?

I'm not sure why so many of us have been conditioned to dismiss or underestimate this wonderful herb. Everyone's gardening practices are unique and based on preferences, but since you're reading this, let me offer a suggestion. Next time you see a Dandelion, I invite you to consider what this so called invasive plant has to offer in the way of healing medicine. At the very least acknowledge its gifts and whisper a few words of gratitude.

I like to point out how our green friends from the plant world find ways to speak to us through art, literature and music. So if you're a country music fan, maybe sing a few lines or hum the tune from this tribute to our Dandelion teachers:

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As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:

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For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!