Dandelions are coming. Did you know they take cues from the weather?
Learn more about one of spring's first flowers.
Spring is here, and it's only a matter of time before you see tufts of yellow popping up on lawns.
Dandelions are typically one of the first flowers to bloom in spring and provide a crucial food source for animals before other foliage has greened up.
You'll be seeing a lot of them in the weeks to come.
As dandelion season reaches its peak, mature plants will emerge, poised to disperse their seeds.
And there are a lot of seeds: each plant produces an average of 15,000 of them. The white puffs that are exposed once a dandelion matures are called pappi. They're attached to a white membrane called cypsela, the fruit, anchored by a seed. The pappus acts like a parachute, helping seeds and fruit disperse via the wind.
And they sure can fly - sometimes travelling upwards of 100 km before touching down. A 2022 study in the journal Nature Communications determines how they do it.
It turns out dandelions are keen weather watchers, adjusting their journey to match the conditions.
"Each dandelion seed is tethered by a thin tube to around 100 bristles, which form the parachute-like structure," the study's authors write in a statement.
"When seeds break free from the flower head, these bundles of hairs catch the wind and carry their seeds. This hairy parachute closes when the air is humid, which often means the wind is weak. In drier, more windy conditions, dandelions widen their parachutes to better catch the wind so the seeds can fly freely."
The centre of the parachute absorbs water molecules in the air and uses the information to sense the humidity in the environment. It then decides whether to open and fly away, or close up and remain in place.
Scientists have long known that dandelions take advantage of the wind, but this study reveals how the plants respond to their environment.
How does weather influence dandelions?
Dandelions typically begin to bloom when soil temperatures hover around 10 degrees Celsius.
They are responsive to sunlight, opening on sunny days and remaining closed on cloudy and rainy days, an adaptation that protects pollen and nectar from moisture.
Dandelion management
Bees start to become more active when the daily highs hit 10°C, and during that time, they rely heavily on dandelions.
So it's ok to keep them around for a week or two — in fact, some experts recommend it. Naturalists say letting your lawn grow a little longer can help native plants disperse, provide food for animals, and give ground-nesting bees a chance to emerge for the season undisturbed.
If think your dandelions are getting out of control, there are ways to keep them at bay.
Pulling them out by hand is one of the most effective ways to get rid of them, but it's also time-consuming. You can make your work easier by watering your lawn a few hours earlier to loosen the soil. When extracting dandelions, dig deep and pull out the entire plant, roots included.
Mowing your lawn is another tactic, but this will likely only buy you a few days of grace.
Lastly, there are sprays available that can keep dandelions under control.
Header image: File photo via Canva Pro.