dandelion fluff

From Strelitzia

The dandelion is a weed that is often unappreciated. I remember how delighted I'd be as a child and even a teen when one sprouted up from the yard. I would pick it, admire it and then blow it's fairy wing like essence in any direction I chose. My mother would scold me as she insisted the seeds would land and then create more dandelions.


From Strelitzia

I took this news with excitement and when she was not looking I would spread the fluff in hopes of more dandelions to come.


From Strelitzia

As you will notice the image at the heading of my blog is a dandelion. I can't believe it has taken me this long to actually post about the detailed wonder that is the dandelion. I did some digging and learned that originally "dandelion" came from the French and it was pronounced "dent de lion".


From Strelitzia

The name came to us in 1066. Dandelion means "lion’s tooth". The name does not refer to the orange or yellow flower head but rather due to the tooth like leaves.


From Strelitzia

According to ScienceRay.com, when a seed from the dandelion lands on the ground it forms a taproot which then produces leaves. They appear in the form of a rosette of leaves just above the root. Each rosette can produce several stems which will later flower. A dandelion seed can produce many copies of itself with one flowering.

From Strelitzia

I remember in early college I had kept a tiny candy tin that had an vintage looking image of a girl on top. I would take dandelion fluff from my yard and place it in the tin. During moments of stress I would take out the tin which I kept in my purse and lightly touch the fluff with my forefinger.

When I felt the need I'd take a pinch from the tin and blow it out into the world. It was my bit of peace. I remember one evening I told a friend that I did this from time to time and she gave me this look as though I had a problem.

From Strelitzia

I really didn't see what was so strange about it, and I still don't. In fact I might start doing it again. Here's to the wonder of dandelion fluff.