Chicory – Roadside Plant in Country and City

I remember chicory as a common flower of vacant lots and streetside  hellstrips of my urban childhood. It seems odd to me that I see it so rarely now that I live in the country where my town  has lots of dirt roads, and where even the paved roads are edged by sandy soil and woodlands or fields. I've always loved the  blue flowers of chicory, and I did know that the roots were sometimes dried and ground and…

Fall Dandelion – Leontodon autumnalis

  • Post published:09/06/2013
  • Post comments:3 Comments

The fall dandelion is making a great show this year, especially at the edges of the lawn where it meets the gravelly driveway. I don't ever remember quite so many in bloom. The fall dandelion is not really a dandelion at all, although the strong similarity explains the name. The fall dandelion is properly known as Leontodon autumnalis, while the common dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. The difference is that the fall dandelion has more narrowly cut leaves with lobes that…

Weeds or Wildflowers?

  • Post published:06/13/2012
  • Post comments:4 Comments

Weeds or wildflowers? What do you think? For more wordlessness this Wednesday click here.

Another Dandelion?

  • Post published:08/25/2010
  • Post comments:3 Comments

This blog is named for the common weed, dandelion or Taraxacum officinale. In the spring my lawn is covered with dandelions. I have learned not to use the lawn clippings from that season  as mulch because I put dandelions in my perennial beds.  Sometimes I don't even put those clippings with lots of dandelions gone to see in the compost. I am not sure my compost pile gets hot enough to kill those seeds. Now my lawn is…