4 Surprising Benefits of Dandelion and Why to Harvest Some Now

Dandelion, often dismissed as a simple weed, is actually a powerful plant ally for vitality and wellness. This resilient plant appears everywhere—lawns, sidewalks, garden beds—inviting us to reconnect with earth’s abundance. Read on to discover why encouraging dandelions in certain areas could enhance your kitchen creations and self-care rituals!

1. Pollinator Support

Dandelions are especially resilient, blooming in cooler weather when other plants can’t, which makes them vital early and late-season food for pollinators. By letting dandelions flower, you’re helping to sustain bees and other pollinators essential for our food crops. Please do NOT spray them—leave dandelions to bloom until other flowers are available to ensure a steady food source for these crucial species.

2. Soil Health

Dandelions have deep taproots that break up compacted soil and help grasses thrive. These roots pull minerals from deep below, enriching the soil when they die back in winter, effectively fertilizing your lawn and garden. If dandelions dominate your yard, it’s a sign of nutrient-depleted soil, and they’re working to restore it.

3. Hair and Skin Health

Dandelions are a rich source of:

• Vitamins A, B-complex, and E that our skin and scalp need to grow healthy hair. 
• Antioxidant compounds, like vitamin C, that can help protect against sun exposure and inhibit signs of aging. 
• Inflammation-modulating compounds which help reduce irritation and blemishes.  
• And lots of lovely minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium, that can help improve the function of the skin and scalp.

Check out these products that feature dandelion:

4. Digestive Support

Every part of the dandelion—roots, leaves, and flowers—is edible and beneficial, offering a naturally bitter flavor that supports liver and digestive health. Its bitter roots are rich in inulin, a prebiotic fiber that promotes good gut bacteria and overall digestive wellness.

Fall is the perfect season to harvest and work with dandelion! Cooler temperatures stimulate new, fresh leaves and increase root size. Dig up some dandelions that are far from roads, buildings or other sources of pollution. Here are some ways to tap into dandelion’s medicinal powers:

• Leaves: Eat as a salad green or use in pesto early in the spring or later in the fall when they are slightly bitter but tender. I like to add a handful of dandelion greens to my daily salads March-May and then again October-November.

• Flowers: You can harvest the flowers and use them fresh in fritters or cookies! You can also dry them to infuse into a carrier oil to use in a salve or massage oil to improve circulation and lymph flow.

• Roots: the roots will be bigger in the fall, but you can dig them anytime, just be prepared to go deep! One of my favorite ways to enjoy dandelion is roasted dandelion root tea. You can purchase the roasted roots or harvest, wash and chop the roots yourself and roast until lightly brown in a skillet or the oven. Then brew like tea, add a splash of coconut milk and a dollop of maple syrup and you’ve got a delicious coffee/chai substitute that your liver will love!

To support digestive health, try making a dandelion tincture using all parts of the plant in alcohol or apple cider vinegar. Just a few drops on your tongue 10 minutes before meals can stimulate digestion, and they also add a pleasant, warming flavor to mixed drinks with citrus and spices.

Dandy Bitters Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fresh dandelion leaves, flowers and roots
• Fresh or dried orange peel, 4 sections about 1″ wide
• 1-2 inches fresh ginger root, chopped
• 4-6 cardamon pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Vodka, other neutral spirit or raw apple cider vinegar

1. Wash and chop your dandelion greens, roots and flowers–making sure to scrub the roots thoroughly. Add to a clean glass jar and fill up halfway.
2. Slice the ginger root and orange peel thinly and add to jar.
3. Toss in cinnamon stick and cardamon pods.
4. Pour alcohol into your jar to cover all ingredients completely. Cap, invert and shake vigorously. Turn the jar right-side-up and add more alcohol if necessary, so that everything is covered.
5. Cap and let rest in a dark, room temperature location for 2-4 weeks. Shake daily if you remember.
6. At the end of 2-4 weeks, strain contents through a double layer of cheesecloth into dropper bottles if possible.
7. Enjoy 1/2-1 tsp bitters on your tongue 10 minutes before each meal or in your favorite mocktail or cocktail!

Want to learn more about healing plants? Grab my FREE guide: Plants of Power: Elderberry--4 Ways Elderberry can Kickstart your Journey into Healthy, Flourishing, Earth-Connected Living. You probably have heard of elderberry syrup and might know how powerful it is for immune system support. But you may not know that it is a native plant that supports a plethora of insects and birds while stabilizing soils. Learn how to grow and work with this amazing plant partner. Includes my special recipes for infused elderflower facial oil and delicious elderberry syrup!