Week 18
What is it about dandelions[i]? So many hate them and see the dandelion as a weed. They rip them out, regard them as a sign of failure, an imperfection in an otherwise perfect stripy lawn. Meanwhile I love them and am now fully into dandelion season. Around me is a sea of yellow, in parts of my land that were once barren.
The word “dandelion” comes from the French “dent de lion”, a lion’s tooth, thanks to the serrated nature of a dandelion’s leaves. The plant is native to Eurasia, although has now been introduced to many other countries. The flower head is not single, but a mass of tiny, individual flowers (florets), each petal being a single floret[ii]. It is a good, early source of nectar and pollen for insects[iii] and is thought by many to have magical powers[iv].
The medicinal uses of the dandelion, over many centuries, make a lengthy list[v]. It is highly nutritious and rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as smaller amounts of vitamins B and E. It is an excellent source of minerals, too, including iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and potassium (K). Its root contains inulin[vi] - the spelling is correct - a form of fibre that is fantastic for the gut. The whole plant can be eaten. Dandelions also contain potential antioxidants, may help fight inflammation, as well as potentially assisting with the management of blood sugar, reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lowering blood pressure, promoting liver health, assisting with weight loss, in addition to possible anticancer effects, treating constipation, boosting immunity, reducing skin irritation, and supporting bone health. It is easy to see why I regard the dandelion as fantastic.
What seems new to many is the realisation that dandelions are not static, and do not stand motionless in a field looking yellow. The dandelion is an active plant. It opens by day and closes by night. It even lies down after dark like a human. On shady days it may not open at all[vii]. It is why I can look from my window into the gloaming, towards a patch of land that I am sure contains glorious dandelions and see nothing. It is simply that the dandelions are closed. Have a look at the video here and slow it right down if you can - you will see what I mean. It is remarkable.
For many plants, they release oxygen by day and absorb carbon dioxide, too, through the process of photosynthesis. At night this is reversed so that plants take up oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This latter process is known as respiration[viii]. This is a fundamental part of a plant’s growth. Respiration is when the glucose produced during the day is processed. Although plants both use and produce oxygen and carbon dioxide, they emit more oxygen than they use while absorbing more carbon dioxide than they emit[ix]. Without plants, and that includes dandelions, mankind would not exist.
If you have doubts about your dandelions, I have one recommendation. Keep them. To remove a dandelion is the wrong thing to do, but a renaturer might say that anyway.
Another yellow plant that is emerging on my land, and I regard as truly beautiful, is the cowslip[x]. This magnificent flower is a cousin of the primrose and was once common in hay meadows, ancient woodlands, and hedgerows. With these habitats in serious decline - the country has lost 118,000 miles of hedgerow since 1950[xi], doubtless for reasons that seemed sensible to someone at the time - the cowslip is struggling, a victim of our environmental ignorance. The plant was traditionally used to treat insomnia, thanks to its sedative properties, while its flowers were excellent for treating coughs. Historically, it was also recommended for people suffering from paralysis[xii]. Cowslip leaves are widely used in Spanish cooking and are traditionally used to flavour English country wine[xiii]. The plant is meant to thrive on dry, chalky soils, so I am astonished I have any to see at all, but they are there, and unquestionably cowslips.
My land seems to focus on a specific colour at a specific time, albeit with occasional exceptions. It started with white snowdrops, as well as few-flowered leek[xiv] and winter heath[xv], before moving on to yellow - daffodils, lesser celandine, dandelions, forsythia[xvi], and now cowslips. Blue is rapidly becoming the colour of the moment, not only thanks to carpet bugle[xvii],[xviii], which is popping up almost wherever I Iook, but the Battle of the Bluebells has begun. The combatants are the native, English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the alien, non-native Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica).
The United Kingdom is home to nearly 50% of the world’s population of bluebells, but the English bluebell is under threat. The Spanish bluebell was introduced into the UK by the Victorians as a garden plant initially but escaped into the wild in 1909[xix]. It grows vigorously, more so than the English bluebell, and is slowly winning the fight. There are hybrids, too. Approximately one in six bluebells now found in broad-leaved woodland are Spanish rather than English bluebells[xx] and most bluebells found in urban areas are hybrid. The Battle of the Bluebells is significant, and the invader is slowly taking over.
A year ago, I tried to remove any evidence of Spanish bluebells on my land by pulling up their bulbs and thought I had been successful. No chance. I may have reduced the population of Spanish bluebells by a smidgeon, but they have remarkable powers of recovery. I still have plenty of English bluebells, indeed for the moment they form the majority, but there are hybrids sneaking through. The Battle of the Bluebells is still underway, although I suspect I know who will win, and it will not be the English.
The bluebell is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981[xxi]. This means that digging up the plant or bulb in the countryside is prohibited and landowners cannot remove bluebells from their land to sell. The species was also listed in Schedule 8 of the Act in 1998, which makes trading in wild bluebell bulbs and seeds an offence[xxii].
Although the law no longer permits me to dig up a wild bluebell, and now I am a renaturer I am guessing that everything I grow can be classified as wild, bluebell sap from either bulb or stem does make a most effective paper glue. Bluebells are also used either inside a dream pillow or near a bed to prevent nightmares. Medicinally, the flower is valuable, too. It has diuretic and styptic properties and is said to even cure snakebite[xxiii]. Bluebells may be wonderful to admire but are also functionally and medicinally brilliant.
A cuckooflower[xxiv] has also appeared, by itself, lonely and tucked under a hedge. To me it looks white, although the true colour is supposedly pale pink. Myth would say that the cuckooflower earned its name because it appears around the same time as the cuckoo. I have heard no sign of a cuckoo this year and am frequently listening for its classic call, especially now it is Spring. The cuckoo’s first call has long symbolised the start of the season and heralds the bird’s arrival back in the United Kingdom after its 5000-mile migratory journey from Southern Africa. Since the early 1980s the cuckoo population has declined by 65% and the bird is now red listed, the depopulation thought to be from, once again, the loss of hedgerows and the widespread use of insecticides[xxv]. Mankind has scored another own goal. What will it take before the world realises? So much chat and such little action. The Secretary-General of the United Nations was right[xxvi],[xxvii], we have our respective heads in the sand, as the world careers towards disaster.
Another option for the origin of the cuckooflower name is that it is sometimes covered with white cuckoo spit[xxviii], foamy white liquid that looks like saliva but covers the nymphal stage of the froghopper bug[xxix]. Again, cuckoo spit earned its name because it appears at about the same time as the cuckoo or should do if mankind was not hard at work, depopulating cuckoos. Silent, small, but beautiful, the cuckooflower says much about our environment. It is also a real help medicinally and has been used for a variety of medical conditions, including chronic skin complaints and asthma. It happens also to be rich in vitamin C[xxx], just the job for scurvy.
And the climate change that is making such a difference to my land, our lives, and so much else? What many seem to forget is that it has taken mankind more than two centuries to reach its current level of tragedy, and tragedy it is. The scientists call it the “time of emergence”, when climate change truly began. Although few would have noticed at the time, the start of global warming was likely in the 1830s, although a clear record did not appear for another 100 years. The Southern Hemisphere was more sluggish, its warming starting in the 1890s, but a clear signal was not apparent until the 1960s[xxxi]. Yet the trend is evident, and the length of time over which climate change has been happening demonstrates there is no quick-fix solution.
Each one of us must do as much as we can instantly, keep going for the rest of our time, and until it becomes second nature. Get to it. Procrastination is not an option.
***
Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills.
References [i] Taraxacum officinale. This scientific name was thought to have come from the Persians, whose pharmacists used “tarashaquq” medicinally and widely. Its introduction to North America was intentional, because of its medicinal properties. Grows from seed, has a single tap root, and does not require cross-fertilisation to spread. This is “apomixis”, which means each dandelion is a clone of its parent and can spread widely. [ii] Caryopsis J. Biology of dandelions. http://www.naturenorth.com/summer/dandelion/Dandelion2.html#:~:text=Dandelions%20grow%20from%20seeds%20and,process%20known%20as%20%22apomixis%22. Accessed 29 April 2023 [iii] Dandelion. https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/dandelion. Accessed 29 April 2023 [iv] Wigington P. Dandelion magic and folklore. See https://www.learnreligions.com/dandelion-magic-and-folklore-4588986. Accessed 29 April 2023 [v] 13 emerging health benefits of dandelion. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dandelion-benefits. Accessed 29 April 2023 [vi] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin. Accessed 29 April 2023 [vii] Bodin M. Dandelion whine. https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/dandelion_whine#:~:text=Dandelion%20flowers%20open%20each%20morning,until%20the%20seeds%20are%20ripe. Accessed 29 April 2023 [viii] Rawat A. Do you know which plants release oxygen at night? https://www.fnp.com/article/do-you-know-which-plants-release-oxygen-at-night. Accessed 29 April 2023 [ix] Do plants grow at night? https://gardenbenchtop.com/do-plants-grow-at-night/. Accessed 29 April 2023 [x] Primula veris. Other names include “key of Heaven”, “bunch of keys”, or “herb Peter”. Its name means “cow-slop”, that is a cowpat. County flower of Essex, Northamptonshire, Surrey and Worcestershire. Protected in Northern Ireland. See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/cowslip. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xi] Hedgerows. See https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/#:~:text=Around%20118%2C000%20miles%20of%20hedgerows,largely%20to%20intensification%20of%20agriculture. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xii] Cowslip. https://www.kew.org/plants/cowslip. Accessed 9 May 2023. [xiii] See https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/cowslip/. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xiv] Allium paradoxum. Edible and can be eaten raw as well as in salads, or as a herb to flavour foods. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_paradoxum. Accessed 16 April 2023. Its onion flavour is thanks to the sulphur it contains. It can lower cholesterol, tonify the circulatory system and aid digestion. See https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+paradoxum. Accessed 16 April 2023. See also 16 April entry. [xv] Erica carnea. Native to the Alps of Central Europe. See https://www.gardenia.net/plant/erica-carnea-springwood-white-winter-heath. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xvi] Forsythia spp. See 2 April entry. [xvii] Ajuga reptans. Sometimes known as bugleweed, carpetweed, or common bugle. A low maintenance plant. See https://www.gardenia.net/plant-variety/ajuga-reptans-carpet-bugle. Accessed 30 April 2023. [xviii] Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans). All parts are poisonous if ingested. See https://www.6bcgarden.org/bugleweed-ajuga.html#:~:text=NOTE%3A%20All%20parts%20of%20plant%20are%20poisonous%20if%20ingested.&text=Exposure%3A%20Sun%20to%20full%20shade,Spread%3A%205%20%2D%208%20inches. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xix] https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/spanish-or-native-bluebell. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xx] Symbolises everlasting love and dedicated to England’s St George. Not all bluebells are blue, and can be grey, pale blue, white, lilac, or dark cobalt. Now protected from illegal commercial harvesting. See https://www.plantlife.org.uk/learning-resource/bluebell/. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxi] Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69. Accessed 9 May 2023. [xxii] Bluebell. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/bluebell/#:~:text=The%20bluebell%20is%20protected%20under,from%20their%20land%20to%20sell. Accessed 9 May 2023. [xxiii] Facts about bluebell. https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/bluebell/. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxiv] Cardamine pratensis. Sometimes called lady’s smock and tastes of English mustard or wasabi. See https://www.wildfooduk.com/edible-wild-plants/ladys-smock-1/. Accessed 30 April 2023 County flower of Brecknockshire and Cheshire. See https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/cardamine-pratensis.php. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxv] Cuckoo conundrum. https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news/rspb-news-stories/cuckoo-conundrum/. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxvi] Climate change making Earth ‘uninhabitable’ Guterres warns. See https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134942#:~:text=“Every%20year%20of%20insufficient%20action,said%20Secretary%2DGeneral%20António%20Guterres. Accessed 9 May 2023. [xxvii] Secretary-General’s message on World Meteorological Day, 23 March 2023. See https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-03-23/secretary-generals-message-world-meteorological-day-scroll-down-for-french-version?_gl=1*1s1xrsl*_ga*MTExMjc5Mzk1NS4xNjgzNjEzNDE4*_ga_TK9BQL5X7Z*MTY4MzYxMzQxOC4xLjAuMTY4MzYxMzQxOC4wLjAuMA.. Accessed 9 May 2023. [xxviii] Cardamine pratensis - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamine_pratensis. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxix] Prosapia bicincta. Can jump 70cms vertically and 100 times its own length. Cuckoo spit is sometimes known as frog spit or snake spit. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froghopper. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxx] Cuckooflower. https://www.conservationhandbooks.com/wildflowers/cuckooflower/#:~:text=The%20leaves%20of%20the%20flowering,particularly%20vitamin%20C)%20and%20minerals. Accessed 30 April 2023 [xxxi] Pidcock R. Scientists clarify starting point for human-caused climate change. See https://www.carbonbrief.org/scientists-clarify-starting-point-for-human-caused-climate-change/#:~:text=The%20instrumental%20temperature%20record%20shows,120%20years%2C%20to%20the%201830s. Accessed 9 May 2023.
Comments