• Home
  • Meet Sarah
  • College
  • Educational
    • Art
    • English
    • Math
    • Science
    • Social Studies
    • Movie Study Units
    • Lapbooks
  • Reviews
  • Check Out My Shop!
    • Sarah’s Books

Sarah Lyn Gay

STEM Life with a nine-year-old college student

The Dandelion Life Cycle and So Much More

by Sarah

The dandelion’s name comes from the French dents-de-lion, meaning lion’s teeth, referring to the jagged-edged leaves shape of dandelions. Dandelions grow in temperate climates, preferring full sun and well-drained soil.

The Dandelion Life Cycle and So Much More

Some dandelions can grow in wet soils, but dandelions do much better in drier climates. Dandelion plants grow from a crown of leaves and dandelion flowers blossom on hollow flower stalks. The dandelion plant’s leaves are bright green with jagged edges, similar to the shape of a lion’s teeth.

Dandelion is a common name for plants in the genus Taraxacum. There are dandelion species all over the world; some dandelions have yellow flowers, others have white.

The dandelion is considered to be a wild plant, although it has been widely cultivated throughout Europe and North America as a food source or medicinal herb. In addition to the dandelion’s wide cultivation, it has many other uses. The dandelion root is used in dyes and its leaves are sometimes used as food for livestock.

Dandelion Life Cycle

The history of the dandelion

Where did dandelions come from? The dandelion is native to Europe and North America. It has been brought all over the rest of the world by humans, however.

The dandelion is native to Europe and Asia. The dandelion is also called Lion’s tooth because it somewhat resembles a lion’s tooth when in bloom. It has been cultivated since at least the sixteenth century.

One of the dandelion’s most notable features is its yellow flowers. It has been regarded as a symbol of loyalty, conjuring up feelings of admiration and respect for dandelion lovers.

Dandelions have been used in many ways throughout history: In ancient China they were used as food, medicine, and even in dyes. Medically, dandelions were believed to cure impotence and induce abortion. They have also been used since the 17th century for a wide variety of ailments including liver disease, jaundice, menstrual problems, and even tapeworms. Dandelions were introduced to North America in the early 1600s by European settlers.

Dandelion Life Cycle

Dandelion anatomy

Dandelions are a type of dioecious flower. Dandelion plants contain male and female flowers which produce bright yellow petals.

Dandelions spread through their dandelion seeds, flowering in the spring and maturing over summer. Many die in winter but plants can regrow from the root the following year.

Parts of a dandelion plant  Some dandelions have solid stems that rise from the ground to produce delicate yellow flowers while others have a hollow or grooved stem so dandelions can easily spread. The dandelion plant has dandelion roots called dandelion taproot that is yellow and fleshy to store vitamins, minerals, and water.

They have dandelion leaves that are bright green with jagged edges, similar to the shape of a lion’s teeth. Dandelions have dandelion flowers which are bright yellow from the dandelion flower’s dandelion pollen.

Dandelion Life Cycle

The Dandelion life cycle

The dandelion plant grows from dandelion seeds.

Dandelions start growing dandelions from dandelion seeds in the dandelion flower after dandelion pollination. The dandelion flowers grow dandelions that travel by wind or passing animals to a new location where they can grow into dandelions. In dandelion seeds dandelions are dandelions dandelion roots grow new dandelions.

Get our Dandelion life cycle workbook!

I have a dandelion life cycle 10-page printable workbook for you – with educational items and also some fun games for learning!

Get our Dandelion life cycle workbook!
Pin this so you can find it later!

See it in our store HERE: Dandelions, Dandelion Life Cycle, Instant Download, Digital Download, Kids Worksheet, STEM

Dandelion uses

Dried dandelions can be used as dyes for wool because their color is unaffected by the dyes that are used. Dandelion flowers can be eaten in salads and dandelions leaves are sometimes used as a substitute for dill. The dandelion has also been cultivated for its medicinal uses, such as dandelion root being applied to stop bleeding and dandelion leafs being brewed into dandelion tea, which is sometimes used to treat liver and digestive problems.

Dandelion tea

Dandelion tea is an herbal beverage made from dandelion flower, dandelion leaves or dandelion roots. The plant contains a bitter-tasting yellow sap that is collected and used as syrup for the tea. Dandelion tea has been researched for blood sugar regulation, in particular as a treatment for diabetes.

I found a great description on how to make dandelion tea for you.

Dandelion greens

These are used for salads actually! Each leaf is about 5 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide. It has a bitter taste and a slightly sweet aftertaste, similar to spinach or kale. This was especially popular during the great depression and is often on the list of preppers and homesteaders!

Dandelion greens health benefits are due to dandelion greens’ high vitamin A content. That is why they make a great addition to a salad.

I wish more seasoned veterans were able to do videos like this to teach us!

Dandelion root

This is used in herbal medicine as a digestive aid. Dandelion root benefits are attributed to dandelion root’s diuretic and laxative properties.

He is a little high energy but has some great information

Other Dandelion recipes

There is so much more you can do with this forageable power house than just make tea or a salad!

How to make Dandelion wine

When harvesting dandelions to make any recipe make sure they are from a source that isn’t near a road or from a yard that is sprayed with chemicals. You want something that isn’t treated or loaded with chemicals to make your recipe as healthy as possible.

OK – this is more for the adults – but it looks pretty easy to make!

How to make Dandelion jelly

Often referred to as poor man’s honey dandelion jelly can be a great treat! Jam and jelly is something I love to enjoy on a peanut butter sandwich as I simply don’t like cold cuts or lunch meat. My mom does a super job of making all kinds of jam and jelly but here is a great video on how to make it from dandelions!

You can also make dandelion coffee, dandelion candy, and even fried dandelions! Just do a quick search on Youtube and you will be amazed!

If you liked my Dandelion Life Cycle then try these other life cycle articles:

  • The Lifecycle of a Star: A Walk Through the Life Cycles
  • The Life Cycle of a Butterfly: How They Grow and Change
  • FREE Cow Life Cycle Learning Poster
  • From Egg to Adult: The Praying Mantis Lifecycle
  • How to Make a Snake Life Cycle Lapbook
  • The Lifecycle of a Frog: A Look at the Baby, Tadpole, and Adult

Grab My Newsletter

Be my bestie and get the latest on the greatest posts and special offers I share!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Filed Under: Science Tagged With: science

Contact Us

Want to know more about Sarah or to partner with us? Send an email to DannelleGay (at) gmail (dot) com

Check out our latest articles:

  • Life Cycle of a Firefly: A Comprehensive Guide for Students
  • Circle Games for Kindergarten: Engaging Activities for Young Learners
  • Examples of Keywords in a Sentence: Enhancing Content SEO
  • Reasons for the End of the Cold War: Analyzing the Historical Shift in Global Politics
  • Life Cycle of a Mouse: A Comprehensive Guide
  • Connotation and Denotation Examples: Unpacking Meaning in Language
  • Middle Colonies Economic Activities: Diversification and Prosperity in Colonial America

Tags

art balance bean birds civil war Cold War college English firefly girl scouts hedgehog history homeschool jellyfish kindergarten lapbook life cycle math Middle Colonies movie study mushrooms Northern colonies parenting plant polar bears presidents press reading red panda reviews scholarships science seahorse Social Studies spelling STEM talking to teens talking to tweens Travel turkey unit study World War 2 writing

Check Out Our Other Sites:

Operation $40K started it all and is great for recipes, meal planning, and budget-fiendly tips.
Traveling Cheesehead is about the adventures of a traveling Wisconsinite and her family.
World of Caves is all about Underground Adventures and has FREE downloadable homeschool guides!
Crazy Camping Girl is about hitting the road and the great outdoors.
My Aussie Service Dog tells you about our adventures with our Aussie, who yes – is a service dog!
A Monkey on a Cupcake is all about cupcakes!
Joyful Xmas is all about Christmas – from recipes to crafts, to history, and more!
Bug Out With Dannelle is all about emergency preparation!

I earned my Silver Award!

What Visiters Had To Say

  • URL on Three States of Matter For Kids: Gas, Liquid, and Solid
  • The Tree Life Cycle from Seed to Shade - Sarah Lyn Gay on All About Hummingbirds and the Hummingbird Life Cycle
  • Perennials For Your Prepper Garden - Bug Out With Dannelle on The Dandelion Life Cycle and So Much More
  • The Tree Life Cycle from Seed to Shade - Sarah Lyn Gay on All About the Gymnosperm Life Cycle
  • The Tree Life Cycle from Seed to Shade - Sarah Lyn Gay on All About the Life Cycle of Fungi

Copyright © 2025 Sarah Lyn Gay · Customized by Springboard Creative

Copyright © 2025 · Sarah Lyn Gay on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Privacy Policy