Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F.H.Wigg.
Blowball
The common dandelion is a familiar native perennial of the daisy family, forming a flat rosette of jaggedly toothed leaves above a stout taproot. Each leafless, hollow stem carries a single bright yellow flowerhead packed with strap-shaped florets, which ripens into the iconic round "clock" of silvery, parachute-borne seeds that scatter on the wind.
About
The common dandelion is a familiar native perennial of the daisy family, forming a flat rosette of jaggedly toothed leaves above a stout taproot. Each leafless, hollow stem carries a single bright yellow flowerhead packed with strap-shaped florets, which ripens into the iconic round "clock" of silvery, parachute-borne seeds that scatter on the wind. What we call dandelion is in fact an aggregate of many closely related microspecies, most reproducing without fertilisation.
It grows almost everywhere there is open ground, from lawns, meadows, pastures and verges to waste places and pavement cracks, on a wide range of soils in sun or light shade. Although it flowers on and off through much of the year, its main flush comes in spring, when it is one of the most important early sources of nectar and pollen for emerging bees, hoverflies and butterflies. Far from a mere weed, it is a genuinely valuable wildflower for pollinator-friendly lawns and meadows.
Also known as
Common Dandelion · Common Dandelion, Blow Ball, Faceclock · Dandelion · Eurasian dandelion · Faceclock
Synonyms
Chondrilla taraxacum · Crepis taraxacum · Leontodon officinalis · Leontodon taraxacum · Leontodon taraxacum vulgare · Leontodon vulgaris · Taraxacum dens-leonis · Taraxacum dens-leonis officinale · Taraxacum officinale angustifolium · Taraxacum officinale dens-leonis · Taraxacum officinale vulgare · Taraxacum palustre vulgare
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.