Description

Although dandelions are very common and familiar plants, they can be confused with other members of the same family. However, dandelions have flower stems that are not only leafless but they are also shiny, hollow and contain a milky juice.

Habitat Information

Dandelion is a rosette forming, winter-green perennial found in a very wide range of habitats including wetlands, sand dunes, mountains, gardens, wasteland and pastures. This wide ecological range is in part due to the fact that the dandelion is not one species but a group of over 150 micro-species, each adapted to slightly different conditions. Identification of these micro-species is definitely a job for the expert and we have made no attempt to do so, suffice to say that our seed is from a lowland pasture from southern Scotland and grows perfectly well in meadows we have sown in Norfolk.

Dandelions can be a important source of nectar for bees, butterflies and hoverflies early in the year, the leaves are the larval foodplant of white ermine moth and the seed is eaten by finches.

Growing Information

Easily grown from seed sown any time of the year.