No Really, That’s Not a Dandelion!
Yes, there are a lot of yellow flowered weeds in Ocean Shores, in waste areas and what passes for lawns here. Although we are used to calling them Dandelions, one can find few “true” Dandelions. Instead we have a couple of weeds belonging to the Dandelion TRIBE. Why do we care? Each species has different growth habits and requires different methods of eradication. If you do not care about getting rid of them, they are all great pollinator plants that can bring beneficial insects to your garden.
The True or Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a perennial that lives up to 10 years! Its single long, dark taproot breaks up deep clay soils (rare here) seeking water and bringing up plant nutrients. Its smooth, papery leaves in basal rosettes are either slightly or deeply toothed (like Lion’s teeth.) The rosette produces one or two stems each with a single 2-inch yellow flower. Try eradicating it by mowing the entire plant, leaves and all, but this will take several years of repeated mowing for success. A better but more difficult way is to dig out each plant, before flowers mature. Remove the entire taproot since any piece left with produce another plant.
The Hairy Cat’s Ear (Hypochaeris radicata) is the most common member of the Dandelion Tribe in Ocean Shore. It thrives in our sandy soil. Like the True Dandelion, it is a perennial with basal leaves, but the leaves are heavier and only slightly toothed. They are densely haired on both sides. Reach down and touch them. You will know instantly which plant is which. The Hairy Cat’s Ear will feel just as its name implies – like a cat’s ear. Its multiple taproots are shorter and lighter colored than True Dandelions, and they are much easier to pull. The basal rosette grows flat and smothers whatever is trying to grow underneath. If you want a lawn, you will need to get rid of them. Mowing does not do any good. It simply cuts off the flowers, which return in a day or two. The flattened basal rosette escapes mowing altogether. You will need to pull each plant, a task much easier than digging out True Dandelions.
In the shade, often under decks, you can find Prickly Sow-Thistles (Sonchus apser,) another of the Dandelion Tribe and not a true thistle. These are annuals, with softly prickled, tooth-edged leaves that alternate up the entire stalk. The ¾ to one-inch yellow flowers are smaller than either of the above. Several flower heads cluster on each stem. Mowing them before flowers mature produces some success, but a better way is to till or pull them. Taproots are short and usually do not readily grow back.
As same Tribe members, all of these have hollow stems that contain a milky-white, latex fluid when broken. This can irritate the skin of some people, especially those allergic to the flowers. As flowers mature, each species produces a fluffy white ball, called a pappus, that when blown apart, disburses the seeds, everywhere. (Grandmas, do not teach your grandchildren how much fun this is!)
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For information about the Garden, contact: Karen Young at Karen@GardenByTheSeaOceanShores.org
This article was originally printed in The Ocean Observer, July 2018.
