PlantWatch

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Photo by Royal Botanical Garden

French name: pissenlit
Bloom time: April to June
Report for: YK, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PEI, NF

General: Common plant, 5-40 cm tall, introduced to Canada from Europe.

Leaves & Twigs: Deeply toothed leaves grow from the base of the plant, appearing before the flowers.

Flowers & Fruit: Flower heads are yellow and the flower stem is hollow and leafless. After full bloom, white, fluffy, round balls of seeds appear. The parachuted seeds are blown away by the wind.
Main flowering is in spring, but scattered blooms continue all summer.

Habitat: Dandelions grow almost anywhere, but are common in cultivated areas and wastelands.

Sampling: Make sure your patch is not mowed until your bloom observations have been made. Choose a location at least 10 m away from a building or obstacle. If these plants are very abundant, mark a patch 1-metre square.

To Observe:

• First bloom: when the first flowers are open in the observed plants.
• Mid bloom when the first seed-head opens, forming a white, fluffy ball of seeds.