Seriously?

If a plant could take over the world my money is on a dandelion! Still flowering in late November! I have a love-hate thing with these plants. Their splash of yellow brightens up a dull scene, and their seedheads are to die for photographically. But they are just so many of them, I swear each of those little seeds must turn into a plant! Given the right conditions, sunny days and a bit of a breeze, the allotment can be a haze of them wafting around to settle on my beds and begin to develop. Even if you pick the flowerheads they will still dry and produce seeds - they have to be burnt to be sure of killing them! They also have the longest taproot and are the devils for digging up - leave just one bit of root and up they pop again! I know a soup, salads and wine not to mention Dandelion and Burdock,  can be made from them, but a bit too bitter for my liking! They are the first and the last to flower and as you can see they are still going strong on my plot! 
However - after a google search I have discovered they are a herb of many benefits not only healthwise but for the soil. It brings nutrients to the top which helps shallow-rooted plants, it adds minerals and nitrogen, it attracts pollinating insects and releases ethylene gas that helps fruit ripen. 

Looking at its medicinal properties I discovered this:-
Dandelion is used for loss of appetite, upset stomach, intestinal gas, gallstones, joint pain, muscle aches, eczema, and bruises. Dandelion is also used to increase urine production and as a laxative to increase bowel movements. It is also be used as a skin toner, blood tonic, and digestive tonic.

Say what?  So an effective liver detox?! Given the problems I seem to have in that area I think I'd better get digging them up to eat and drink not put on my bonfire heap! 

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