Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
The dandelion is perhaps the most universally recognized weed in the world. It is a perennial broadleaf weed that can emerge at almost any time of the year in Middle Tennessee, though it is most prolific during the spring flush. While children love to blow the white seed puffs into the wind, those seeds can travel for miles, ensuring a constant supply of new dandelions in your yard.
Dandelions establish a deep, thick taproot that can extend up to 10 inches into the soil. This taproot allows the plant to survive through harsh droughts and winter freezes. If the taproot is broken during an attempt to pull the weed by hand, the plant will simply regenerate from the remaining root fragment.
How to Identify Dandelion
- 1Produces a bright yellow, multi-petaled flower on a single, hollow stalk.
- 2Leaves are deeply lobed, jagged, and point back toward the center of the plant.
- 3Leaves grow in a basal rosette pattern flat against the ground.
- 4Flowers mature into a white, fluffy globe of seeds.
Treatment & Control
Because dandelions are perennials with deep taproots, spring pre-emergents are not entirely effective at preventing them. The best approach is a targeted application of a selective post-emergent broadleaf herbicide. The herbicide is absorbed through the leaves and translocated down into the taproot, killing the entire plant. Maintaining a dense, tall fescue lawn is the best preventative measure, as dandelion seeds struggle to germinate in heavily shaded soil.
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