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October 18, 2008
Dandelion; the lion's tooth
Herbal medicines live outdoors, vibrant with the natural energy of life. Some people call these vibrant medicinal plants "weeds" and try to kill them, spraying them with poisons. Others embrace them and give them a well-deserved place in a medicinal armamentarium.
One wonderful "weed" meeting this medical description is the dandelion, identified by its green lion's-tooth leaves which form a base in the shape of a crown. From the base a single round, smooth, brittle and hollow stalk shoots upward with a bright yellow flower atop its end, which opens by day and closes by night. When the flower turns to puffs of white wispy seeds, children love to pick the stalks and blow the puffs of seeds, watching them travel on the wind. A corruption of the French dent de lion, the teeth of a lion, the name dandelion refers to its serrated leaves. Three species are found in the United States: taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, T. laevigatum, a red seeded specimen, and T. ceratophorum, the alpine or horned dandelion. The first two grow in disturbed soil in temperate regions. The third species, a native of California's High Sierra, is found in Arizona's mountains, its leaves resembling sharks' teeth.
Its fresh leaves and flowers do well in spring salads, but as a medicine, it's even better to make tinctures for year round use. Indeed, the tinctures will last for years.
The root is a liver tonic often used as a general spring tonic, decongesting the liver by increasing bile flow and promoting bile production. For the same reason it's also helpful with sluggish bowels. As an anti-rheumatic, it stimulates cell metabolism in the body and helps the body to dump metabolic waste into the blood to be cleansed by the liver. As a natural bitter, it stimulates production of enzymes which help break down food substances for improved absorption.
A safe, highly effective diuretic containing potassium, the leaf avoids potassium depletion so common with other diuretics. Young leaves can be eaten raw with salads but are better mixed with other greens because of their bitter quality.
Herbal literature describes multiple uses for this herb. The basic reason is its bitter qualities, and its assistance of liver toning. The bitter qualities seem to stimulate the endocrine system to work better. It's useful to carry a small tincture bottle on long car rides and airplane trips for swelling.
Each season some people collect their friends to gather green dandelion plants, with or without flowers, to make tincture for the year. The harvest is washed and carefully dried before using it although some people use the fresh and go straight to tincture. If there are no friends and no dandelions available, dried cut and sifted dandelion parts can be purchased in the natural food store. Use 100-proof vodka for the tincture. Often wide-mouthed jars, especially brown colored ones, are used the storing and creating of the tincture.
After chopping dried herbs in a blender, put the cut and sifted parts in a jar about half to three quarters full, pour the vodka over the herb, and close the jar tightly. If going straight from a fresh harvest, finely macerate the herb with vodka in a blender and put in the jar. Shake the jar vigorously daily, if not twice daily, to allow the alcohol to leach out the active ingredients into the liquid. After two weeks, strain the liquid and the herbal pieces through a muslin-covered funnel. After the liquid has passed into a receptacle, squeeze the muslin so the last of the juice will leave the plant. Then rebottle the liquid with a clear label. The remaining herbal pieces can be composted.
The beleaguered dandelion, beset by poisoned sprays, is one of nature's gifts to our medicine chest. Enjoyed by children blowing in the wind and relished by many in salads, it can cleanse the insides by drinking one or two drops of tincture in a glass of water at the start of the day.
For further information, contact Sue Collins, a certified herbalist, at suecollins46@msn.com.
Susan B. Collins is a Master Gardener volunteer. Dana Prom Smith, a Master Gardener volunteer, is coordinating editor for the Master Gardener Column. He can be contacted at stpauls@npgcable.com. For more information about the Master Gardener Program, call Hattie Braun, Coordinator of the Master Gardener Program, at 774-1868, Ext.17, or visit highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.
Posted by maxmaddy at October 18, 2008 8:01 PM