Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale

A plant not very welcome on a golf lawn but in food forestry highly appreciated not just because all parts of the Dandelion are edible but also due to its many ecological functions. Its taproot goes several meters down, breaks up compacted soil and brings up a variety of nutrients and minerals from deep below surface which will be available to neighboring plants once it dies back or to anybody eating it before. A fact, that makes it attracting a variety of wildlife which are very welcome in a food forest ecosystem.

Usually, from March through October we can harvest and eat this vitamin bomb that contains lots of the vitamins B, C and E and minerals like potassium, calcium and iron. Eaten fresh in a salad, smoothie, juice or cooked for example as a soup it supports our immune system, detoxes and supports the liver and kidneys. As a hint, in order not to eat too many bitter compounds it is suggested to mainly go for the younger leaves.

Another great companion in the herbaceous layer of a food forest with the additional benefit that you normally not even have to plant it. It just arrives.