Dandelion, on the hunt for stars!
There are flowers that seem made just to be admired up close.
Dandelion is one of them.
At first, it appears in the meadows with its bright yellow color, so radiant that it seems to hold a little piece of sunshine. Then, almost without us noticing, it changes shape. The flower closes up, slowly transforms, and one day becomes a light, airy sphere.
It’s the moment when everyone stops, smiles, and does the same thing: they blow!
How to recognize it
Dandelion is a perennial herb that grows to a height of 10 to 30 centimeters, although it can sometimes grow taller.
Its leaves are long, green, and serrated. Because of their shape, it is commonly called a dandelion in many places.
The flower is golden yellow, and although it appears to be a single flower, it is actually made up of many tiny flowers clustered together. This is why it is called an inflorescence.
After blooming, something unique happens: the flower closes up and transforms into a soft, perfect sphere made up of many tiny seeds ready to take flight: the achenes.
Each seed is attached to a small white tuft called a pappus, a sort of tiny parachute that the wind can carry very far.
This is precisely where one of the dandelion’s most famous names comes from: “soffione.”
Where to look for it during your explorations
The dandelion is one of the most common flowers.
It grows in meadows, fields, along the edges of trails, in gardens, and even in places where it seems impossible for anything to grow. Sometimes it even appears among rocks or near piles of dirt and debris.
It is a hardy plant that can adapt to many different environments.
It blooms for many months, from March through December, and it is precisely this constant presence that makes it so familiar.
The meaning of the name
The scientific name for dandelion is Taraxacum officinale.
“Taraxacum” comes from Ancient Greek and combines two words: “taraxis,” meaning “turmoil,” and “akos,” meaning “cure.”
It’s an interesting name, because it reflects something that dandelions still do today: restoring balance and order after chaos.
“Medicinal,” on the other hand, is the term used for plants that have long been known and used by apothecaries and herbalists.
The dandelion has many names, however.
Some call it a dandelion, because of its flying seeds.
Others call it a lion’s tooth, because of the shape of its leaves.
Still others call it wild chicory or “crazy salad,” because it was served as a side dish with springtime peasant meals.
A legend of the sun, moon, and stars
It is said that, in the days of Creation, God had yet to choose the color of the dandelion.
All the other flowers had already made up their minds!
God was surprised by that indecision. The dandelion was a simple plant, meant to be a precious food source for those who worked the land. It certainly didn’t look like a vain flower!
So he asked him again:
“What color do you want to be?”
The dandelion replied that it had been watching the Sun for a long time. It found it bright and warm: it wanted to be like it.
Then she said she had also looked at the moon, silent and round in the night sky, capable of lighting up the darkness. And she confessed that she wished she could be like it, too.
God smiled at that answer, so he decided not to choose. He painted the dandelion yellow as the sun, when the flower blooms in the meadows. When the time for the dandelion puffs arrives, he colored it white as the moon, and when the wind brushes against it, its seeds fly away into the sky like little shooting stars.
What's it called in the local dialect?
Its name even varies from one neighboring town to another, a sign of just how well-known this flower is and how much it is a part of everyday life.
In Bellagio, it is known as insalàta mata or insalàta del bòf; in Brunate, it is called ul bufetùn or il déent de léun; and in Lezzeno, it is known as i buff. In Tavernerio, however, it is called la zicoria mata, and in Nesso, insalàta del muscùu. In Pognana Lario, it is known as l’Erba mata, and in Ponte Lambro, as un grén.
What about you?
Do you remember what your grandparents or great-grandparents used to call it?
Ask your family members; collect their words, stories, and memories.
If you'd like, feel free to email us at: info@oltrelario.it
When you find it…
When you come across a dandelion, try to observe it through all its stages of growth.
Draw the yellow flower in your passport. Then look for the same flower as a dandelion and see how it changes.
You can count the seeds, watch them fly, or try to imagine where they’ll land.
Draw it in your passport, and note down where you found it and what time of day it was.
Happy exploring, explorers.
If you would like to share your discoveries, you can do so on Instagram using the hashtag #floraintasca. If, on the other hand, you prefer to keep these moments just for yourself, your family, and nature, we completely understand. In that case, if you wish, you can tell us about your experience by leaving a review here:
https://www.oltrelario.it/recensioni/
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