"Do you like butter?"

When you find a blooming dandelion to rub under your chin for the "butter test", let us know!

What to look for:

Find a flower like the one shown here.
Just about everyone has seen a dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) Look for the long, tooth-like leaves that give this common plant its name (The name literally means "tooth of the lion.")

Watch in your neighborhood and around school. If you think you are the first person to see this event, ask your teacher to submit your name to the Wolf Ridge website (see table below.)

Where do dandelions grow?
Dandelions grow just about everywhere in North America today, but . . .

. . . Imagine that you lived in Minnesota back in the 1600's - you wouldn't have seen even one! Dandelions were brought to North America by Europeans who planted them in their gardens to grow as food.
Why are dandelions blooming a sign of spring?

When the soil is warm enough for dandelions to bloom, we know the soil is warming up everywhere, and that soon we will see other spring flowers.

It's a beautiful sunny spring day and you're out in your yard or on the school playground loving the warm air and sunshine. It's a day to play hard, and every once in awhile to look around and take in the feast of green surrounding you. Suddenly you see it! A bright spot of yellow right next to the building! Could it be? You have to go over and check it out -- it is! The first dandelion of the year!

Dandelions have been resting underground all winter long. Their long, carrot-like taproot is full of stored food, just waiting for the warm soil to kick it into action. As soon as that tap root warms up, it sends up leaves and then flowers.

Next to a building, on the sunny south side, it's like a little spring oven for soil. You will see dandelions here long before you see them anywhere else.
Cool Facts
A rose is a rose is a dandelion??

The pattern dandelion leaves grow in is called a "rosette." All the leaves grow out from a central point. Look straight down at a Dandelion. Can you see the rosette of leaves?
Did you know that dandelion flowers are each really made up of dozens of tiny spike-shaped single flowers?

Look closely at a dandelion. Pull out one of the "petals." Now look closely. Can you see that what looked like a petal is really a whole, long, skinny flower? If you look really close, you might be able to see that some of the individual small flowers are blooming while others are not even open yet.

Plants that have many flowers on one flower head are called "composites." Another common composite is the daisy.

Dandelions are edible! (With your parent's permission!)

Roots - dig up, grind, and make into a coffee-like beverage
Leaves - eat young leaves in salad
Flowers - dip in batter and deep fry to make fritters

You wouldn't want to eat a dandelion that has just been sprayed with herbicides or that the neighborhood dog recently visited. You also wouldn't want to eat the wrong plant - some plants that are poisonous look like edible plants. Always check with your parents first!

Think About It!

  1. Why might dandelions open only during the day and close at night?
  2. What advantage is it for a "flower" to really be made of hundreds of little flowers growing next to each other?
  3. What other plants have a tap root that stores food underground? (You might have these in your garden or refridgerator at home.)
Explore the Web
Explore your way through lots of fun and easy experiments and activities from the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Solve mysteries about plants.
Color this detailed line drawing. See the coloring guide for some surprising details.
You'll find lots of beautiful and detailed drawings to print out and color.
Find events in Minnesota and the nation, or add your own.
On-line curriculum aimed at middle or high school students.
Read details about the medicinal uses and history of the dandelion.
Private collection of photos of Minnesota wildflowers.
Learn more about flowers in these Wolf Ridge classes:
Explore the world of plants! Learn about how plants live and grow, why they are so different, and how they are alike. How do plants and animals help each other? Depending on the season, you might also make foods, drinks, perfumes, or dyes from the plants you find. More about our Plant Study class.
Date School Town Observer Comments
04/17/2010 Wolf Ridge Finland the nats Dandelions out by the stream study building down in Sawmill Creek valley