Common Nuisance Weeds in Alberta – Dandelion - Weed Control, Lawn Care + | Calgary, Red Deer

Dandelions are the most common broadleaf weed found in most lawns. It is found in virtually every kind of habitat, from openings in deep woods to cultivated fields, from rocky hillsides to fertile gardens and lawns.

Dandelions are often considered a pesky weed in Canada yet European and Asian nations have greatly benefited for years from the incredible nutritional value that this weed contains. Dandelions are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and it even has antioxidants. For example, one cup of raw dandelion greens contains 112% of your daily required intake of vitamin A and 535% of vitamin K. The common yellow dandelion has a long list of powerful healing abilities as well as other health benefits.

Classification: Nuisance Weed

Recognizable features:

Stem: Smooth, leafless, succulent and round hollow stem that shows a milky substance when broken.

Leaves: Dandelions have a toothy, deeply-notched, basal leaves that are hairless. They are 5 to 25 cm or longer and they form a rosette above the central taproot.

Flowers: Flower heads bright yellow, 3.2-5 cm across, borne singly on long, smooth, leafless, unbranched, hollow stalks which arise from among the rosette leaves. Only ray (strap-shaped) florets are present; outer row of involucral bracts short and spreading or bent down; seed heads white, more or less spherical, 3.5-5 cm across. The seeds are long, slender with a slender beak tipped with a tuft of white hair (pappus or “parachute”). The whole plant contains sticky white juice. Flowers from early spring to late fall.