Boasting a richness of naturopathic uses, both medicinal and nutritional, the dandelion’s roar is predominantly that of a diuretic and a detoxifier. The dandelion can be used as a tonic, diuretic, hepatic, antiscorbutic, sialagogue, aperient, alterative, and stomachic. You may not know what most of these words mean, but the gist of it is, this is a very useful flower. Accent your salad with a few leaves, ideally picked before the plant matures, when the taste is less bitter. These yellow-headed little beasties are on the endangered list because of spraying. Thank you, Riverwesters, for not spraying your lawns… your lawn and the earth will appreciate it. So the next time you look at your lawn and notice a dandelion, or a “pride” of the yellow-headed beasts, don’t call get out the pesticides or run for your gardening trowel. Eat them! Riverwest Currents – Volume 1 – Issue 6 – July 2002