Signs of spring

February hasn’t yet yielded to March, and already some signs of spring are showing. I didn’t see them, but I did hear a flock of geese honking across the sky earlier this week. That’s always a good sign.

And daffodils are either blooming or are about to bloom, and shoots of iris have poked through the ground. Tulips can’t be far behind.

But for me, spring means dandelions. If you Google dandelions, the first thing that pops up on the computer screen is how to kill them. That hardly seems fair. Dandelions are pretty, they’re yellow like sunshine. Spring sunshine. They smell good. Their scent tells me spring has arrived. A field — or at least a yard — dotted with those pretty yellow flowers is a sight to behold.

But to some people they’re weeds. Maybe it’s because one doesn’t have to beg dandelions to grow and bloom like more temperamental orchids or roses. They just willingly put down long tap roots and hang on for dear life, blooming readily, eager to please. Maybe if they played hard to get they’d be appreciated more.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." Actually dandelions aren’t weeds, they’re herbs. According to WebMD, people use the above-ground parts and root to make medicine  to be used for loss of appetite, upset stomach, intestinal gas, gallstones, joint pain, muscle aches, eczema, and bruises. Dandelion is also used to increase urine production and as a laxative. It is also used as skin toner, blood tonic, and digestive tonic. Dandelion contains chemicals that may decrease inflammation.

Every part of a flowered dandelion is edible. The flowers and young leaves can be used on salads. The more mature leaves make a nutritious greens dish, and the root can be skinned and eaten like a turnip. The flowers are good for making wine, jelly, and tea. They are packed with vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as minerals, such as iron, potassium, and zinc.

Dandelions have deep roots, which is what makes them so hard to remove – but this also leads to many benefits for the soil. The deep roots break up densely packed soils allowing for more water and airflow, which is healthy for soil ecosystems.  These roots also bring up nutrients to the surface, benefiting plants like tomatoes which have shallower roots. The leaves of the dandelions are nutrient rich and can make great compost or mulch for your lawn and garden.

Dandelions are major attractions of pollinators and ladybugs. They flower frequently and are therefore a regular source of food to bees, butterflies, and moths. Anything that helps bees is good for our earth, and who doesn’t like honey?

And an added bonus: after they bloom, they turn into long stalks with fluffy seed heads on top. Some children are taught to make a wish before they blow on them and disperse the seeds.

How can anyone dislike such a pretty, agreeable flower?