Pharm Harvest: Dandelion

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is generally the first plant we harvest in the spring. Though you might be accustomed to seeing Dandelion as a splash of yellow amid a field of green, we plant them in neat rows on our Certified Organic farms. Row after row of bright yellow is a beautiful sight when the flowers are in full bloom. We take our cues from nature, harvesting the plants when those golden yellow flowers form.

Dandelion is a member of the Asteraceae family, meaning it is a relative of Sunflower, Calendula and Yarrow. Its leaves have deep teeth, which is why it is named Dandelion, from the French dent-de-lion, or lion’s tooth.

Though the plant is a perennial, we grow it as an annual. When we’re ready to harvest, a tractor loosens the plant’s deep taproots, which can reach 12 inches long. Then our farm crew and interns unearth the whole Dandelion plant, including the root, leaves and flowers.

The plants are then washed thoroughly. From there, Dandelion goes to the lab for validation, then to our processing facility. We always extract Dandelion while it’s still fresh and succulent.