Annual Praise for Dandelions

Almost literally overnight -- make that literally overnight, and I don't mean figuratively -- dandelions have emerged. I take them as a welcome harbinger of spring. Edible, too, which might be useful to know in the years ahead. The All About Lawns website makes the following claims:

"The dandelion (named for their sharp, serrated leaves that resemble lion's teeth) was introduced to the United States from Europe for use as a medicinal plant. It works astonishingly well as a diuretic, is a good source of vitamins, and can be made into a delightful wine. On the other hand, your lawn is not a buffet." (And why not? That could be the next wave of the raw food movement.)

So dandelions are Euro-Americans, too, just like many of us here in North America. I don't know why people get so bent out of shape about them. I might understand it if they bloomed in April and stuck around until September, but they don't even last that long.