The Story of the Dandelion - Fayetteville, AR - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

County of sign: Washington County
Location of sign: 118 Dickson St., Headquarters House border garden, Fayetteville
Sign erected by: Washington County Master Gardeners & The University of Arkansas Extension Service.

Sign Text:

THE STORY OF THE DANDELION "Down by the gate and over in the grass, was a dandylion plant -- one dandylion plant. Mother was Kentucky girl. In Kentucky she had seen [unreadable] lawns covered with dandylions, but never in Arkansas had she seen them.
There may have been millions of them scattered over the state but never had she seen one. So when in Missouri she saw some blooming along the roadway, she had the wagon stopped and alighted out to admire the little golden flowers, and she arraigned with Mr. Quirks that on his return trip he was to take up some of the plants and take them back to Fayetteville and plant them down by the front gate at the new place. One plant [unreadable] and it bloomed and the neighbors came to see and admire. Mr Quirks came and hovering over the plant said: "Remember Mrs Tibbetts, that [unreadable] this bloom are mine. You have promised, don't forget." This is an absolutely true story, verified by many recollections of it by different members of the family, especially when the awful, troublesome things were being painfully eradicated from later family yards."
   One Hundred Years of Fayetteville 1828-1928, The Journal of Marian Tebbetts Banes by William Campbell

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Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
In Civil War Hospitals a highly concocted tea, made from fresh dandelion roots dug before the plant flower had gone to seed, was given to the wounded. This became so relaxing that it was used as a substitute for opium.
Civil War Plants, Patricia B. Mitchell, pg 32.

This gentle but effective herb is a powerhouse of nutrition and medicine. One half cup of dandelion greens contains 122 percent of the U.S. recommended daily requirement of Vitamin A, 15 percent of Vitamin C, 7 percent of calcium, and 5 percent of iron. It also contains potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, and other trace minerals. All this and only 19 calories.
"This humble weed is so helpful to human health that it sprouts up everywhere trying to call attentions to itself."
The Herbalist's Garden, by Shatoiya & Richard pg 34.

The Dandelion

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/18/2017 Where's George visited it