“Bees celebrated return of dandelions in a skirt of twirling, yellow bliss
Flowering bouffant mirrored my spiky little afro
Jagged edged “lion’s tooth” leaves paid tribute to my snag-a-tooth smile”
– Semaj Brown, Black Dandelion
Dandelions are an ever-present feature of the urban landscape here in Philadelphia, growing in abandoned lots, through cracks in the concrete, and on the edges of sidewalks and yards. As a child growing up in Brooklyn, NY, dandelions were some of my first and closest plant companions. I loved scattering the seed heads after making a wish, tying the stems together to create flower crowns and necklaces, pointing out their bright yellow blooms on my way home from the library. I didn’t think deeply about them—they were simply a part of the everyday ecology that surrounded me.
The dandelion (taraxacum officinale) is a perennial plant in the daisy family. The plant’s English name comes from the French phrase dent de lion or “tooth of the lion,” which refers to its serrated, tooth-like leaves. It is native to Asia and Europe, and thrives in temperate climates. Dandelions have a thick taproot that can grow up to three feet long. This is part of what makes them such a persistent feature of the landscapes in which they live; unless you’re careful to dig up the entire taproot, a dandelion can easily regrow.
In 2021, I attended an herbal medicine course called the People’s Medicine School, taught by herbalist Amanda Davis. Each month, Amanda would make videos featuring different seasonal plants. In her dandelion video, Amanda talked about the plant as an herbal bitter, with cooling and drying properties. Like many bitter herbs, dandelion can help clear toxins out of our bodies. It can function as a diuretic, and supports the liver and kidneys in processing hormonal changes. Because of this, dandelion can be an important herbal ally in moments of hormonal transition, such as puberty, pregnancy, and hormonal replacement therapy.
As I learned more, I began to think about how dandelion and bitter plants can support those of us experiencing chronic stress as a result of systemic oppression. While nervines and adaptogens can help us regulate our nervous systems, plants like dandelion can also be powerful allies in helping our bodies process and release the buildup from environmental stressors. They can aid us in moments of acute change, and in the many small moments of survival that make up our lives.
In 2021, I also began taking testosterone as part of my evolving relationship with my body and gender. During that time, I was searching for herbal allies to help my body acclimate to these hormonal changes. After learning from Amanda, I started taking dandelion tincture on a regular basis. Like many medicinal plants, the effects of dandelion were initially subtle, yet significant. Dandelion helped me manage my hormonal acne (which can often come from an overburdened liver). I could feel its balancing effects both internally and externally, and came to rely on it as I navigated a changing body.
In the poem Black Dandelion, Semaj Brown discusses the dandelion as a persecuted plant and a symbol of Black survival. Dismissed as a weed and targeted by those invested in the creation of a “monochromatic landscape,” the dandelion—like Black communities—continues to exist in fugitive ways, embodying the “art of/endurance and escape.” Throughout my life, dandelion has shown up as playmate, medicinal ally, and reminder of everyday beauty. As spring comes to the Northern hemisphere, I hope we can take the time to collectively engage with dandelion in various forms, integrating its lessons of survival and release.
This blog post contributed by Bitter Kalli.
Bitter Kalli is a writer and plant grower whose work engages with labor histories, Black visual culture, and multispecies kinship. Their essay collection Mounted: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation is forthcoming in August 2025 from Amistad/HarperCollins. Bitter is the founder of Star Apple Nursery, a project focused on the stewardship of Caribbean and Southeast Asian crops. They are a child of the Atlantic Ocean.
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This blog post was prepared by community outreach coordinator Deja Morgan
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