Dandelion

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Dandelions are one of the most nutritious wild edibles, and they’re available right in your own backyard. Just be sure you or your neighbors have not sprayed chemicals on the lawn. The greens are excellent mixed into salads, and the yellow tops can even be sprinkled on top. All parts of the plant can be used for something or other. See “Foraging: the Wile Side of Sustainable Eating” by Debra Illingworth Greene for unique and delicious suggestions for dandelion tea, coffee, pancakes, salad and more from Lisa Nudo, a wildcrafter who lives near Viroqua.

Nutrition: A 100 gram serving of dandelion parts contain a hefty 649 percent daily value of vitamin K and 338 percent DV of vitamin A. It also contains 39 percent DV of iron, 58 percent DV vitamin C, and 19 percent of both vitamin B6 and calcium. It’s been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to detoxify the blood, lower blood pressure, dissolve kidney stones, improve gastro-intestinal health, aid digestion, treat jaundice and acne, and so much more.