Plant · GBIF taxon 5394163
common dandelion
Taraxacum officinaleAlso known as Blowball, Lion's Tooth, Priest's Crown, Faceclock
Bright yellow blooms emerge in early spring from a deep taproot, providing one of the earliest pollen and nectar sources for emerging bees. As the flower matures, the stem lengthens and the head closes before opening into a globe of seed parachutes that catch the breeze. Long regarded as a persistent weed, this resilient perennial thrives in virtually any disturbed soil across the globe.
PerennialFloweringPollinator Friendly
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Nutrients
Predators
- Eastern Cottontail
- American Goldfinch
- Garden Snail
ThreatsHerbicides, soil tilling, and aggressive lawn management
HabitatsLawns, meadows, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed soils
Life span5 to 10+ years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAsterales
- FamilyAsteraceae
- GenusTaraxacum
- SpeciesTaraxacum officinale
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance; avoid consuming wild plants without expert identification.
Responsible observation
- Pollen Spotting: Look for honeybees and native solitary bees foraging on sunny mornings when flower heads fully open.
- Seed Dispersal: Gently blow a mature white seed ball to observe how feathered parachutes drift on light breeze currents.
- Taproot Observation: Examine broken roots to see the milky white latex sap released as a defensive herbivore deterrent.
Look-alike (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Look-alike (c) Colin Meurk, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Colin Meurk · cc-by-sa
Pollinator Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Seed Consumer no rights reserved, uploaded by Glenn Berry · cc0
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Mary Crickmore · cc0
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