Dandelion Leaf

Taraxacum officinale

  

Monograph

1. Plant Family:
• Asteraceae, or daisy family ^[1]
2. Habitat & Cultivation:
• The common dandelion is considered a weed that easily grows in temperate environments. Taraxacum officinale is native to Europe and Asia, and was originally imported to America as a food crop. Dandelion can be found in backyards, sidewalks, near water, or anywhere that the soil is damp. ^[1]
3. Parts Used:
• Leaves (urinary) ^[2]
4. Herbal Actions:
• Diuretic (strong!)
• Cholagogue
• Laxative
• Tonic
• Bitter
• Nutritive (prebiotic & high in potassium) ^[1]
5. Indications:
• Tissue stagnation, edema from hypertension or cardiovascular issues. ^[2]
6. Plant Constituents:
• Sesquiterpene lactones, sterols, carotenoids, flavonoids, polysaccharides ^[1]
7. System Affinities:
• Digestive, urinary, lymphatic, circulatory ^[1]  
8. Energetics:
• Cool, bitter, salty, and dry ^[3]
9. Safety:
• No contraindication known. ^[1]
10. Interactions:
• None known. ^[2]

Personal Experience

1. Organoleptics:
• The dried dandelion leaf is fairly dark green – this assures me that it is a nutritive herb and rich in minerals. I can slightly smell the bitterness… kind of sour. It already smells like tea greens so I’m suspecting it to be a nice mild tea.
2. Preparation Method:
• Tincture: (1:5 in 40%) 5 – 10 ml 3x/day
• Hot Infusion: 1 cup boiling water over 1 – 2 tsps dried leaf and infuse for 10 – 15 mins. Drink 3x/day.
• Raw: Eat raw leaf in salads. Or juice – drink 5 – 10 ml juice from fresh leaves 2x/day. ^[2]
3. Usage Notes:
• I made a hot infusion out of the dried dandelion leaf. I was definitely correct in hypothesizing that this would be a mild tea – there’s barely any flavor apart from a general herbiness and bitter aftertaste on my tongue. Even after drinking one cup I could feel the diuretic properties! Kind of an underwhelming tea – next time I will try eating the raw leaves or juicing them!

Sources:

1. Zollinger, R. & Riccio, L. (2018). Week 9 Study Questions. Bastyr University: SP-18_MW5123-A Botanicals 3: Pregnancy.
2. Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
3. Frawley, D. & Lad, V. (2001). The Yoga of Herbs. Twin Lakes, Wisconsin: Lotus Press.