Foraging for Dandelions
Forage dandelions in locations where you are certain they haven’t been sprayed with toxic herbicides. If you are approaching someone’s lawn, make sure you have permission to gather and double check that they are not treating their lawn.
After determining the collection site is safe, be responsible and respectful to your plant allies, only gather what you need and do not take everything that is available in that space, we need to leave snacks for everyone else!
The same observations are important if you are harvesting your own dandelions sown from seed!
Few plants mimic the visual qualities of dandelions, and it is one of the more easily and safely identifiable foraged plants, but if you are uncertain, consult a plant guidebook, or a local herbalist.
Foraging/Harvest Calendar
Take fully yellow flowers only from the dandelion bunches that have plenty, and don't take them all. If you would like to gather the stems and leaves as well to use in a different recipe or project. Use a sharp knife to slice the yellow flower tops off.
Use a knife or sharp shears to slice the stem just about one inch above the roots. Pinch each leaf off individually. Remember to leave at least half the leaves on each plant so you it can continue to thrive.
The white fluffs I often lovingly call “wishes”! I often don’t gather these unless I need seeds to sow. They will usually find a way to plant themselves but I don’t mind helping where I can. Take them from fully blossomed white flowers on the dandelion bunches, pluck at the bottom of the stem, so a new stem one can grow.
You can remove the white fluff from the seed by rubbing the seed between you fingers.
In early spring before the dandelions shoot skyward and open up into a flower, dandelions produce a small bud close to the ground just above their leaves. There are often multiple buds in a single bunch, don’t worry it will produce new buds. However, if you don’t see any other dandelions starting near you, don’t take from these, and walk around until you find a new patch with more dandelions near-by! You can pluck the buds with your fingers, they should pop right up, we want to minimize damage to protect the space for new growth.
Use a knife or small shovel or spade to gently cut a circle into the ground around a dandelion ensuring you are able to safely and easily pull the roots (and entire plant out of the ground). Only take from locations where there are multiple plant gatherings.
