Little Lighthouses of Yellow
Week of May 16 – May 22, 2021
by Melissa Kirby, Environmental Educator
When you think of a dandelion, what comes to mind? After a day of rain and a new day of bright sunny skies I look for the vibrant yellow flowers of the dandelions to greet me on the brief walk to get in my car and start my day. On the drive to work I notice them sprinkled about in lawns, little lighthouses of yellow in a sea of green, and I can’t help but smile.
Providing both pollen and nectar, dandelions are an important first food source for bees and butterflies. As persistent little flowers, they can be mowed down and grow right back. This behavior gives them the title of “weed” for many, though they are still considered by botanists to be herbs.
The whole dandelion from root to flower is edible and has nutritional value providing a variety of vitamins and minerals. I myself enjoy dandelion root tea. From using their medicinal value, to being handed a small bouquet that a child collected, to admiring the beautiful vast meadow of yellow when passing by a farmer’s growing hay field, dandelions certainly have a special place in my heart. What about you? Is there any small aspect of nature that you admire at the start of your day? There’s so much beauty in the smallest of things.
