Nebraskaland

APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 63 L et me tell you about the most annoying, arrogant weed on the face of the earth. If there is even the tiniest gap in my otherwise perfect bluegrass-carpeted lawn, this ugly non-native plant will fill it. Then, not being satisfied with simple victory, it flags its presence with round brilliantly-yellow flowers that can be seen from space. No matter how many times I mow them off, the flowers come back. If I let them bloom for just a day or two, those flowers turn into evil balls of seed that send clouds of future weeds into the air like soil- seeking smart bombs. The plant's giant elongated carrot-like roots make pulling it out of the ground nearly impossible, and getting enough herbicide onto its skinny leaves to kill that massive root isn't easy either. In short, dandelions are pretty much a perfect weed. They take advantage of any weakness in my carefully cultivated yard and gardens, make themselves as conspicuous as possible, and then toss confetti-like seeds into the air to celebrate their success and ensure their future triumphs as well. Let me tell you about a little hero of mine. This yellow-flowered plant blooms prolifically during an early spring period when very few other flowers are blooming. Not only does this bring welcome color to mostly-still- dormant landscape, it also provides a bonanza of food resources to pollinating insects when little else is available. Its leaves are nutritious and tasty both for wildlife and humans – a rarity among wildflowers. This short-lived plant appears when other plants are weakened, filling otherwise barren spaces with color and food, and then gracefully fades away as neighboring plants gain enough vigor to cover that bare ground. As its farewell gesture, it produces beautiful round fluffy seed heads that have long been favorites of seed-blowing children and fodder for poets and photographers everywhere. In short, dandelions are pretty much a perfect plant. When surrounding plants are weakened by drought, repeated mowing or grazing, or other anything else, dandelions step up to provide food, beauty, and entertainment for kids until neighboring plants regain their vigor. Let me tell you about the much maligned dandelion, a pretty little flower that pollinators love but gardeners hate. It has many qualities we admire; it is opportunistic, successful, attractive, and tough. It also has qualities we despise: it is opportunistic, successful, attractive, and tough. You get the idea. Cut the poor plant a break, huh? ■ Chris Helzer is the Director of Science for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. He has been a contributor to NEBRASKAland since 1994. Chris blogs at prairieecologist.com. PHOTOS BY CHRIS HELZER The Two Faces of the Dandelion Pictured is a sweat bee on a dandelion. Dandelion seed head at the Helzer Family Prairie near Stockham, Nebraska. By Chris Helzer This dandelion image is from The Nature Conservancy's Platte River Prairies shop yard. A love-hate relationship.

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