NO MOW MAY has begun!
One of the most beautiful flowers to benefit from this Plantlife initiative, now adopted by people and organisations across the UK, is the Dandelion. Its name comes from the French – ‘dents-de-lion’ – lion’s teeth – because of the shape of its leaves.
The Cowbar dandelions are just some of the yellow blooms you will see on Cowbar this spring. You can read more about dandelions here but take a look at a few key facts below:
- Dandelions are important providers of nectar and pollen, especially in spring when early pollinators emerge.
- Birds eat their seeds, small mammals and moth and butterfly larvae feed on their leaves.
- Every single part of the Dandelion is edible. They are rich in vitamins A, C and K and other minerals.
- They have a long history of use in medicine, including for health of bones, skin, liver, blood pressure and digestion.
- A single dandelion can produce up to 5,000 seeds a year, which may travel up to 5 miles from the parent plant.
- In the Middle Ages, people would clear grass so they could plant dandelions.
- Dandelions are seen as symbols of resilience and hope.
Plantlife began its #NoMowMay movement seven years ago and every year more and more people join in. The Plantlife website has a No Mow May page full of useful information and advice about why letting flowers of all kinds flourish in spring and beyond (check out Let It Bloom June on the same page!)
You can also read here about why our verges and wild grass spaces are so important, and look out for the Yellow Rattle shoots coming through on the south verge by Cowbar Lane! The picture below is what they will become if the verges are left to thrive.
