How to Recognize Edible Dandelion

Although dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is typically considered a pesky weed throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, where it is perennial, sometimes people use the plant as food. For example, its lush foliage makes for an exotic salad green while its roots can be steeped in hot water to create an herbal coffee or tea. Try dandelion yourself after identifying a mature plant that is ready for harvest.

Dandelion is sometimes confused with other weeds that look similar. Although other plants have foliage that share dandelion's characteristics -- an even green color with jagged or toothed leaf edges, the key identifier separating dandelion from similar-looking plants is that its foliage is hairless. Additionally, a dandelion plant has only one yellow blossom per stem. Finally, break off a leaf. If it's from a dandelion, it will ooze a milky liquid.

Once you know how to identify dandelion, you may notice the plant everywhere -- on the side of roads, popping out of cracks in sidewalks or even invading a neighbor's lawn. If, however, you plan to harvest dandelion roots and greens that are safe to eat, avoid harvesting any plant that grows in high-traffic, polluted areas. Additionally, stay away from dandelion in areas that may have been treated with pesticides in the past, such as lawns and urban landscapes. For the healthiest harvest, search for dandelion in rural fields and meadows far from heavy human activity and farming.

The time of year affects the quality and flavor of dandelion. Fresh dandelion leaves can be harvested all year but taste the sweetest in early spring and late fall. Dandelion roots for coffee or tea are best when harvested in fall and spring, and they taste sweetest in fall. Additionally, fall-harvested dandelion roots have a higher amount of inulin, a natural dietary fiber.

When you're ready to harvest a dandelion, pick the tallest, most vigorously growing plant. Large plants have bigger root systems and more leaves from which to choose. When harvesting dandelion roots, look for a plant that hasn't yet grown blossoms. Dandelion grows flowers from spring through summer.

Harvest dandelion leaves for salads by simply plucking them off at the stem by hand. Pick tender, young leaves from the middle of the plant instead of picking older, mature, more woody leaves from the outside edges of the dandelion. Young dandelion leaves taste less bitter than mature leaves.

Harvest dandelion roots for coffee or tea by using a garden fork to loosen the soil around the plant's base, and pull the dandelion out of the soil.