After hiding behind clouds for days the sun finally came out yesterday and now there are flowers everywhere!

I’m not sure how the common dandelion got such a bad rap. I love them. Those bright yellow florets always catch my eye and make me slow down, which is odd given that drivers often interpret yellow to mean “go faster!”

Dandelions are cheerful, resilient, persistent, and interactive (don’t tell me you’ve never plucked a silver-white puffball and blown seeds hither and yon!). Their leaves are rich in Vitamin C and can be tossed into salads, the blossoms are used to make wine. How can you not love a flower that’s dinner, beverage, and centerpiece?

Firmly rooted and nomadic at the same time, dandelions have got their feet in the ground and their heads in the clouds. They even have a lovely poetic name, from the French dente-de-lion or lion’s tooth, for their jaggedly lobed leaves.

If you think dandelions are too common to warrant much thought, much less mindfulness, check out their Wikipedia write up and prepared to be amazed.  They even have interesting sex lives (I’ll bet THAT got your attention!)

Which under-appreciated wildflower(s) do you love?

[Thanks to the following photographers for making their work available through the Creative Commons license:  nofrills, frankieleon.]