Botanical Name: Taraxacum officinale Plant Family: Asteraceae Origins: China
Dandelion has been used for centuries, medicinally, all over the world. It has been employed as a restorative tonic, edible food, and even in herbal beers and wines. In North America, many indigenous peoples saw dandelion as a prized edible, a gastrointestinal aid, a cleansing alterative, and a helpful compress. The Cherokee and Iroquois used the root as an alterative, making a tea of the plant (leaves and flowers) for calming purposes.