Vert de Montmagny Dandelion - Vilmorin seeds

Taraxacum officinale 'Vert de Montmagny' is a dandelion that is cultivated for its broad and deeply cut leafy rosettes. It is an early and productive variety. Although commonly known as weeds, dandelions have many useful properties. They can be eaten in salads or cooked like spinach. Sow the seeds from March to June for a harvest from November to April.

Taraxacum officinale, also known as lion's tooth, is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. The bright yellow of its flowers, the characteristic lion's tooth-like shape of its leaves, and its feathery seeds make it one of the most well-known "weeds".

The common dandelion is naturally found in meadows and along roadsides, as well as in the middle of paved areas in cities. It often appears in well-maintained lawns, where it is relentlessly hunted down!

However, this weed has many qualities that should not be ignored! It is rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, naturally diuretic, and detoxifying. Its young leaves are excellent in salads. They are also very tasty when cooked quickly like spinach, with a little garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. Its flowers are also edible, and can be used to make jelly, syrup, and a delicious amber-coloured aperitif wine.

In the garden, it adapts to ordinary soil, even if heavy and compact. It prefers full sun or partial shade.

Harvesting: harvest the young leaves from November to April. The flowers are usually picked in April.

Storage: the leaves can be stored for a few days in a refrigerator or a few months in a freezer, after being blanched for a few minutes in boiling water.

Gardener's tip: to obtain very tender dandelion leaves, it is possible to blanch them by covering them with a small mound of soil, about 15cm (6in) high, or by covering them with a large clay pot.