- Latin name
- Taraxacum officinale
- Element
- air
- Planet
- Jupiter
- Safe to eat?
- Yes, in normal kitchen amounts
How to use it
- Blow a seed head and send a wish on the wind
- Brew leaves or roasted root as a tea
- Add young leaves to salads
- Place bright flowers on the altar in spring
Lore
The name comes from the French dent de lion, lion's tooth, for its jagged leaves. Children across Britain have long blown the seed clocks to tell the time or to see if a wish will come true.
Safety
Daisy family: may cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to ragweed or daisies. It acts as a diuretic and may interact with diuretics, lithium, blood thinners and diabetes medicines. Only pick from places free of weedkiller, traffic fumes and dog walking.
More air herbs
- Lavender Lavandula angustifolia
- Sage Salvia officinalis
- Pine Pinus sylvestris
- Mistletoe Viscum album
- Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria