Dandelion Fluff Balls

     I realize that dandelions are among the most hated plants around, but I don’t mind them all that much.  I am not a big fan of sterile looking mono-cultured lawns and enjoy the variety and changes of a mixed lawn.   I know dandelions can make a lawn look shabby, but area around McBride sometimes looks like it could be the Dandelion Capital of the World, and they are such a persistent and vibrant plant, I think we might as well accept their presence and recognize their benefits.

    A lot of living things depend on dandelions.  I have seen bears sitting in a field of them chowing down on them, and when I had a herd of Angora goats, when the dandelion flowers were in bloom, their muzzle around their mouths were often caked with dandelion pollen.  I have even seen our dog Kona, chewing on dandelion stems.  Of course the obvious benefactor of the plant are bees and other pollinators.  

    The sea of yellow dandelion blooms that covered our lawn and fields have now changed into balls of fluff.  I couldn’t help but notice them this morning on my walk and took these photos.   I confess that I do find the fluff balls attractive.  Once their fluffy seeds have taken flight in the wind, I don’t find those  empty stems that stick up all over attractive, so I will enjoy the dandelions during this brief period when they still have the fluff.  Once that is gone, I do mow the plant down.

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