Dandelions

Soapbox time.

Dandelions are a contentious topic. I have been lectured both for removing them from my intentional plantings and for leaving them in my lawn.

There are multiple species of dandelions and similar-looking flowers. Some of them are native, some are not, so be cautious of pulling yellow many-petaled flowers before you know what they are. (List is not inclusive.)

Common dandelion - invasive
Red-seeded dandelion - invasive
Autumn hawkbit  - invasive

Prairie false dandelion - native
False dandelion - native

For the purposes of this entry, I will be discussing common dandelions and red-seeded dandelions.

Yep, they are invasive species, introduced from Europe. Yep, they are edible.

Some people leave them because being an early spring bloomer makes them "important food for bees." This is actually false. While bees (native and otherwise) will happily visit them, especially in spring when flower pickings are slim, the pollen offered by dandelions is low in nutritional value.

Most research is done on honey bees due to their agricultural value, but these sources touch on other bees as well:

• Are Dandelions Really Important to Bees?
• Pollen Quality
• The Real Scoop on Dandelions and Honeybees

In short: dandelion pollen is low in protein and lacking in certain amino acids which are key to bee development. This doesn't mean it's hurting them, as long as they have a diversity of pollen sources. But it's not necessarily GOOD for them, either. It's better for them to have access to the pollen sources that they evolved to eat - generally plants that are native to your area.

Fighting dandelions takes resources, in the form of time and/or herbicides. Herbicides cost money, harm other plants, and are possibly harmful to insects. Hand culling is the most environmentally friendly way to control the spread of dandelions, but it is also labor-intensive and time-consuming. It's up to you whether that time and energy would be better spent elsewhere.

For some alternative early-blooming native plants to encourage, check out:
Common blue violet
Virginia waterleaf
Wild strawberry
Red columbine
Bloodroot