Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Names: Priests crown, Swines snout, Dent de Lion, Dens leonis (a lions tooth),
Leontodon (greek), Piss-a-bed, Fortune teller, Cankerwort, Wet-weed, Time
teller, Wishes.
Element: Air
Planet: Jupiter
Magical uses: Divination, Calling spirits, Making wishes, Contacting Hecate,
Enhances psychic abilities, Brings favourable winds, Association with Samhain
and Beltane, Balances the self, Invokes sylphs and air spirits.
Key words: Detox, Ground, Hecate, Samhain, Beltane, Spring, Autumn, Darkness
and Light,
Tissue type: used for Stagnation.
Cold and Dry.
Actions: Diuretic, Hepatic, Cholagogue, Galactagogue, Pancreatic regulator,
Urinary anti-septic, Anti-eczema, Detoxifying, Anti-rheumatic, Laxative, Tonic,
Bitter.
Uses:
ROOT - Promotes elimination of plasma cholesterol, Liver tonic, Inflammation of
liver and gallbladder, Gallstones, Mild jaundice, Hangovers, Constipation,
Indigestion, Lack of appetite, Hypoglycaemia, Anorexia nervosa, Congestive
heart failure, Diabetes, Anaemia, Hepatits, Liver heat, Skin problems such as
acne, eczema, boils, age spots, abscesses, and herpes.
LEAF - Kidney tonic, Lower blood pressure and replenish potassium levels, Fluid
retention, Sweating in between the bum cheeks, Muscular rheumatism, Warts,
Promotes weight loss during dieting, Oedema.
Emotional Uses: Grounding, Releasing anger, Releasing pent-up emotions,
Reducing liver-heat, Reducing depression and self-hate, Increasing self-care,
Better sense of self. Parts used: Root and Leaf medicinally. The flowers are
edible. The juice from the stem can be used topically, not internally.
Known constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones, Triterpenes, Vitamins A, B, C and D,
Phytosterols, Flavanoids, Polysaccharides. Leaf only; Carotenoids, Coumarins,
Minerals, especially potassium. Root only; Taraxcoside, Phenolic acids, Minerals
such as potassium and calcium.
Growing Habits
Most of us are familiar with the beautiful bright yellow flower head of the
Dandelion. It always reminded me of a Lions mane as a child. As the
flowers turn to seed heads who can forget how the wind would whip up the
fluffy seeds and cast them into the air. They always looked so fairy-like to
me.
Despite being known as a pest to most gardeners they are familiar to
children as something worth playing with. You will have noticed it almost
everywhere. It’s ability to find a crack in concrete and pop up, seemingly
out of nowhere, is incredible. It really helps me, as a city dweller, to feel
like nature is all around me, popping up everywhere I look.
When going out to forage for Dandelion you won’t have to go far as it
seems to grow in most circumstances. Light or dark, good or bad soil, it’s
really not fussed. I often find it most in places where people have little
access such as waste sights. Though I wouldn’t recommend picking it in
places where old buildings have been knocked down or other waste-land
because the tap roots have a wonderful capacity for dragging up toxins
from the ground such as heavy metals. It’s best to look for it in fields. My
favourite spot for wild land in London is near railway stations. Often there
is a strip of land between the outside of the station and the station itself
that is left alone. This often has a wonderful abundance of herbal life and
is rarely polluted. Please do beware of roads nearby though, the pollution
can travel in the air. Try to get at least a few meters from any road
before picking.
Legend and Tradition
The name Taraxacum crom the greek word Taraxo which means “I have
excited”, and akos, which means pain, but also, remedy. The name
Dandelion, which most of us know it by, comes from dent-de-lion which is
French for lions tooth. This is a reference to the sharp jagged edge of the
leaf. Not, as I once thought, the yellow petals that also looks like a lions
mane. It was also called piss en lit by the French meaning, piss-the-bed.
This was in reference to its diuretic properties. In fact, some adults, and
children a like, will still remember being told they would pee the bed at night
if they touched a dandelion. Although it does help you pass urine it would
be rather remarkable an effect for it to occur simply by touching it.
Children also use the Dandelion seeds to tell the time which lead to it’s
name “Time teller”. I remember as a child picking Dandelion seed heads and
saying aloud to it “What’s the time Mr.Wolf?” and seeing how many puffs
of my breathe it took to get rid of them all. If it took 3 it was 3 o’clock.
Needless to say, it was rarely correct. Kids also use the Dandelion to make
wishes. In fact, some say that if you rub your skin all over with Dandelion
you will be welcome everywhere and all your wishes will come true.
Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, was said to have entertained Theseus,
founder of Athens, with a dandelion. As such, it is seen as a plant of
Hecate and some make a necklace of pieces of the dried root in hono ur
of her. It’s best to collect the root in the month of October when its energy
is largely in the root. This is also the month associated with Hecate.
Medicinal Uses
THE ROOT
Most gardeners know the taproot of the Dandelion. Certainly a war has
been waged against the humble Dandelion but maybe we can change
Gardeners minds if we all propagate information about its wonderful uses.
The root is bitter, bitterer than it’s leaves. This bitterness gives it some of
its wonderful health benefits. Although you might take some time coming
round to the bitter taste, it’s actually one of the sweetest bitters there is
going in the herbal pharmacopeia, so it’s worth getting acquainted with.
Bitter tastes help to stimulate the digestive system by making the pancreas
produce more bile. This helps us digest our food more effectively. It also
helps us excrete waste products more efficiently. However, its ability to
speed up the transit time of the liver means that even medications from
the doctor, if we are taking them, will be processed faster. For this reason
you could say that the drugs will have less of an effect. It’s important for
those on medication to seriously reconsider using Dandelion because of this.
Even things such as the Hormonal Contraceptive Pill may be affected.
Although the effects may be mild it’s important to consult your Herbalist on
the matter as each drug is different and each persons needs are different.
As a herb of Jupiter, Dandelion root can be used to help with any disease
of the liver. It’s traditionally used for things such as mild jaundice,
gallstones and cirrhosis of the liver. It helps circulation to the liver as well
and has been used for congestive heart failure. Although it’s not usually
thought of as supportive to the cardiovascular system it does help with
swollen hands and feet which can be a symptom of congestive heart
failure. It does this through its affect on the kidneys.
Because the root is so good at helping the liver function it can help with
conditions which come about through an over burdened liver. For example,
skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can be aided by helping the
liver. This is usually just one element of a detox as the toxins that are being
absorbed usually come through the food we eat. Often, eczema is caused
by a food intolerance or allergy that is yet to be identified by the sufferer.
For this reason, it’s important to partake of a thorough detox to try and
identify what may be causing the problem. For some, the
allergen/sensitivity is so incredibly strong that even the tiniest amount of
the substance can create a reaction.
Thanks to the roots effects on the liver and bile production it also helps
those who suffer with constipation. Firstly by increasing the break down of
food products. Secondly by improving the movement in the intestines. This
also makes it good for those that struggle with digesting their food in any
way. It may be helpful for those with indigestion and a weak digestive
power. This may show as a lack of appetite, frequent tummy upsets,
frequent food poisoning, smelly feet and bad body odour. It can also help
healing in the case of ulceration of the intestines.
Dandelion root is also great for balancing blood sugar levels. This may make
it a great addition to any blend for balancing hormones in women who are
oestrogen dominant (e.g. endometriosis) as well as for those suffering
with type 2 diabetes. Women will also find it useful if they suffer with
symptoms such as spots that occur as part of their hormone cycle or
migraines associated with their cycle.
THE LEAF
The leaf has become popular as a salad green in America but has yet to
become so popular in the UK. Thankfully Dandelion can be found
everywhere and you can easily come across some for its leaves. The leaf
is far less bitter than the root and you can even grow it in a way to lessen
the bitterness. If you place a flowerpot over the plant it will put all its
energy in to finding a source of light and quickly grow upwards to the top
of the flowerpot. While it’s putting its energy into growing it doesn’t
produce as much of the bitter constituents. This can make it more tasty,
larger in size but also less medicinally active. Having said that, it should still
contain lots of potassium.
While the root is associated with the liver, the leaf is associated with the
kidneys. As a remedy for the kidney it is great for lowering high blood
pressure. This is because the volume of blood we produce is monitored by
the kidneys. When we support the kidney we support the heart in turn.
What’s wonderful about Dandelion is that while prescribed diuretics used to
deplete potassium levels, Dandelion does not. However, having said that,
this has been corrected in recent times so this is no longer the case with
drug diuretics. It also helps support the cardiovascular system by clearing
bad cholesterol. I have used it in patients waiting for heart surgery along
with herbs such as Lime flowers (Tilia ornata), Hawthorn (Crataegus
lavaegata) and Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca).
Traditionally Dandelion is seen as a blood cleanser. This action is partially
through its action on the liver but also through its action on the kidneys
that, of course, filter the blood for waste products that need to be
excreted. As a result it can help with conditions such as arthritis,
rheumatism and gout. These conditions are (thought to be) caused by
deposits of uric acid in the joints. When foods are consumed which are
anti-inflammatory, and Dandelion leaf is used as part of this, these
conditions can really diminish. In fact, I had a patient who once swore that
a simple change to her diet and the use of apple cider vinegar essentially
cured her rheumatoid arthritis.
Not only does the leaf effect the kidneys it also effects the bladder. As
we have already mentioned it is known as a diuretic by children. Its ability
to improve the filtration rate of the kidneys means the bladder also
excretes urine more often. This is extremely useful in cases of cystitis,
urethritis and kidney stones.
Dandelion is less known for its effect on the lungs but Elizabeth Brooke and
Matthew Wood mentions it as being useful for the lungs, for chronic
coughs, asthma and bronchitis as it strengthens the lung tissues.
Emotional Uses
Like all roots, the root of the Dandelion is great for grounding. It helps us
feel our connection to the earth and this can be comforting. As such, most
find the experience of grounding very relaxing. The taproot of the
Dandelion, diving deep into the earth, is especially good at this. I like to use
it for people who are in their head too much. They’re likely to get stuck in
their own thoughts and may be full of anxiety too. It helps people get a
stronger sense of their true self.
The root is also useful for helping people comeback to their selves. When
we ground and centre we help to identify with ourselves again and realise
our own requirements for happiness. Often Mothers and Fathers can get so
wrapped up in what their children need that they forget to care for
themselves. This may be why, when boarding a flight, they have to remind
the parents to put their own oxygen mask on first before their babies.
After all, if you don’t look after yourself first and foremost, you can’t look
after others. And what sort of example does that give our children?
The liver is often seen as the seat of anger. As such, when people suffer
with “liver heat” it means that they probably have a lot of pent-up anger.
Symptoms that are traditionally associated with liver heat are; red palms of
the hand that go white when pressure is put on them, a dry and itchy scalp
and over-heating in the night. When this emotion isn’t processed externally
it often turns into depression and self-hate. Holding things in like this is a
form of stagnation. Dandelion will help to shift this. It may cause outbursts
but this is all for the good in the long-term.
Preparations
BEER RECIPE
2oz Dandelion leaf
2oz Nettle
1oz Yellow Dock
Boil in 3 litres of water for 15mins. Strain and add 1kg of lof sugar and 2
tbspn of ginger
Cool and make liquid to 2 gallons
Add ½ oz of yeast and stir. Leave for 24 hours
Skim and bottle for 2-3 days.
WINE RECIPE
Gallon water
Gallon flowers
Stand for 3 days before boiling liquor for 30mins
Add 3.5lb of loaf sugar with ginger, orange and lemon slices
Add yeast once cooled and stand for 2 days
Cask for 2 months before drinking
Safety Considerations
Do not give to those on medication for blood pressure, especially if it is
low.
Could be dangerous to those with asteraceae family allergy.
Contact dermatitis is sometimes seen in response to the juice in the stem.
Do not give while the bile duct is blocked or before gall stone sizes have
been identified. You can block the gall bladder by using bitters to clear
stones if they’re too big.
Do not use while on medication which is treating a chronic illness or which
needs to be taken daily such as the contraceptive pill.