Dandelion - Taraxicum officinales

Who here doesn't have a childhood memory of this gorgeous plant, so disrespectfully reffered to as a 'weed'? The sunny burst of a lion's mane followed by the magical fairy-chutes of the seed head clock.....

The dandelion is a hidden gem of the herb world - it is an excellent spring tonic, is packed full of nutrients and vitamins, and is a particularly good herb for the liver. The leaves and flowers can be steamed like spinach, or eaten raw in a salad, or even used in a herbal tea infusion. The leaves are one of natures best diuretics - and whereas other diuretics also lead to a high potassium loss, the humble dandelion is rich in potassium! Being a diuretic the dandelion is also good for bladder infections. The flowers are high in lecithin, a nutrient useful for various liver ailments.

The root is more commonly used as a coffee substitue, and medicinally has a history of use in treating jaundice.

Remember those childhood stories of bed-wetting from picking a dandelion? Perhaps this stems from its diuretic properties... or maybe it was a reference to the white sap which oozes from the stem when broken. Incidentally, the sap from the stem is used as a folk remedy for curing warts.