Commn Dandelions are
weeds
that nearly everyone knows. They grow in lawns and gardens,
as well as forests, fields, roadsides, and waste
places.
The leaves of dandelions
grow in a rosette.
This means they all branch out from the center. Leaves are
green and grow up to 16 inches long. They usually have large
teeth.
Flower stalks
grow from March to September. Stalks can be two feet tall.
They are hollow and leak out a milky juice when broken.
Flowers grow from the end of the stalks.
Common Dandelion flowers
are about one and a half inches wide. They have many bright
yellow rays.
Dandelions are
perennial,
so they come back every year.
Copyright,
WSSA
After the flowerheads
have gone, fruits form and then open up. The seeds inside
are attached to many lightweight, white bristles. These
bristles allow the seed to travel by wind.
The flowers of Common
Dandelion are visited by bees, flies, and butterflies. These
animals also help pollinate
the flowers.
Deer and rabbits eat
dandelion leaves.Birds, such as American Goldfinch, Wild
Turkey, and Northern Bobwhite, eat the seeds.
Common Dandelions grow better with
a lot of sunlight. You are more likely to see many of them together
in fields or lawns than in the forest under trees such as pine, oak,
and hickory. Some other plants they are found with include plants in
the Aster Family (including goldenrods, Chicory, and Joe-pye Weed),
Highbush Blueberry, and Kentucky Bluegrass. They are often found in
gardens and lawns with other weeds, such as English Plantain, Smooth
Crabgrass, and clover.
Common Dandelions are
both hated and loved by people. Children love to pick them, make
chains from them, and blow the seeds into the air. Gardeners despise
them, because they can quickly crowd out flowers and
vegetables.
