Taraxacum

Taraxacum, commonly known as dandelion, is a widespread perennial weed found throughout temperate regions of the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of Australia and South America. It thrives in lawns, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed soils and is known for its resilience and ability to regrow from deep taproots. Dandelions are especially common in no-till or minimally tilled systems where soil disturbance is low.

Dandelions are easily identified by their rosette of deeply toothed leaves, bright yellow composite flowers, and fluffy seed heads (pappus) that disperse by wind. They grow low to the ground but send up tall, hollow stalks when flowering. The primary species is Taraxacum officinale, but there are hundreds of microspecies and apomictic variants (reproducing without fertilization), particularly in Europe. These variants differ slightly in leaf shape, size, and flowering time but are often grouped under the Taraxacum officinale complex due to their close genetic relationship.

While dandelions are not typically a major threat to row crops, they can be problematic in forage crops, turfgrass, orchards, and occasionally cereal crops. They compete with desirable plants for nutrients and moisture and can interfere with harvests or reduce aesthetic and grazing quality. Their long taproot makes mechanical removal difficult, and they are resistant to some post-emergent herbicides. Effective control involves a combination of proper mowing, selective herbicides, and maintaining dense, competitive vegetation.