Just learned that dandelions aren't actually weeds

So I was reading this old botany book I found at a thrift store last weekend, from 1978 I think. Turns out dandelions are technically a cultivated herb that escaped gardens a long time ago. The whole taproot was bred for medicine and coffee substitutes. I never knew that. Has anyone else come across a common plant that's actually not what everyone thinks it is?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella_scott9620h ago

Wow, that's wild! It's funny how we just assume something's a weed because it's everywhere, but most of those plants have a real history. It's like how people call ladybugs "pests" when they're actually eating the aphids that ruin your garden. Or how most folks think moss is just a nuisance on their lawn, but it's actually a sign the soil's healthy and acidic. We slap labels on things without really knowing where they came from or what they're doing. Makes you wonder what other common stuff we've got wrong.

danielm8013h ago

Reminds me of that time my cat brought in a mouse, thought it was a toy until it moved.

dylan46318h ago

Right @stella_scott96, I call dandelions "lawn dinosaurs" and my neighbors think I'm nuts.