Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Taraxacum officinale
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Root, Leaf
Taste: Bitter, Sweet
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Moist

On moisture, Gerard (1633), Culpeper (1653) and Salmon (1710) read it as dry. The app keeps moist, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Generally safe

While breastfeeding

Excellent safety; traditional galactagogue and detoxification support. Safe across lactation.

For children

Safe; highly nutritive

Cautions

Avoid with bile duct obstruction or known gallstones without supervision

General contraindications

Generally considered safe as food/medicine

Stewardship

Dandelion is globally abundant; both leaf and root easy to wildcraft from unsprayed ground. Roast root alternative is a gentle way in for coffee-users. Stewardship: Taraxacum teaches that wildness and abundance are not opposites of order.

In the traditional record

Dandelion — Taraxacum referenced in 10th century Arabic medical texts; eaten as bitter herb in Jewish Passover tradition

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.