 And now, the history of dandelions. Aww. Now, most people out there know just how hardy dandelions can be. But did you know that this hardiness actually started about 30 million years ago? Seeds from an ancient dandelion species have been found in fossils from the Pliocene era in southern Russia. Dandelions are actually part of the Daisy family, otherwise known as the Astra A.C.E. family. Apparently, botanists like to have research throwdowns, because depending on which botanist you speak to, there are anywhere from 36 to 100 primary species of dandelion, and as many as 2,000 micro-species. But there is very little consensus between experts on these numbers. Who knew botanists were such drama queens? The first mention of dandelions in print is from the Tang Materia Medica from China in the 7th century, in which they discuss its medicinal benefits. But dandelions didn't really get widespread notice, until some Persian scientists wrote about it in 901,000 AD. Al-Razi said, the Tarashuk is like chicory, which is probably the inspiration for dandelion's scientific name, Toraxicum. But not nearly as fun as how it got its common name, dandelion. Did I say name? I meant names. Blurl. Dandelion has been known by a wide variety of different names, including priest's crown or monk's head. Which makes sense when you've seen a dandelion with all its fluff blown away. The Chinese call it Pugonging, or Earthnail, referring to its incredibly deep and resilient tap roots. Dandelion was also called Farmer's Clock, Clocks and Watches, or Clock Flower. And this refers to how you can tell time by dandelions, because they open at sunrise and close at sunset. And then there's my personal favorite name, Dumbledore. Now there is also a wide variety of other names that dandelion has gone by, including Cankerwort, Dog Posey, Combs and Hairpins, Dune Head Clock, Conker Moor, Devil's Milk Plant, Blow Ball, Heart Fever Glass, Yellow Gown, Golden Suns, I'm not going to even try and pronounce that one, White and Dive and Stinketavy. Now with all these super fun names floating around, why is it that dandelion is the one that stuck? Well it may date back to the ancient Latin, Don's Leonis, or the Greek, Leontodon. So we really have the Gallic Normans of France, who conquered England in 1066 to thank for it, as they are the ones who decided to call it, Don't De Leon, which got franglishized into dandelion by the time the 14th century rolled around. Pardonz-moi, monsieur, you have too many Don't De Leon in your jardin. What? Don't De Leon? How do you mean dandelions? Pff, Anglais stupide avec les normes, idiotes. Ha ha, take that, Normans. Three Saxons may have lost Britain, but we won the Battle of the Plant Names. That is all that matters. Now Don't De Leon means lion's tooth. It's widely believed to be called this because the spiky leaves of the dandelion look a lot like lion's teeth, or even possibly because the flower itself looks a little bit like a lion's mane. This lion's teeth idea is actually a common theme, as it is the primary name for dandelions in many different countries, including the Welsh, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Spanish. And guess what? The name train keeps rollin' on, toot-toot! Now the most, shall I say, peculiar of these other names comes once again from our friends in France. This name happens to be a loving tribute to dandelion's diuretic qualities. And this name is Piss-en-lis. Now on-lie means in bed, and I think I can leave you smart people to figure out the rest. The English decided to just get right to the point and call it Pia-bed or Piss-a-bed, or even the slightly cuter Pittle-bed, or Wip-weed. And there is a slightly cruder version that comes to us from Northern Italy where it is known as Piss-a-can, or dog pisses. Probably because of how often they're found on the side of pavement or sidewalks where dogs, uh, yeah, you get the picture. Well, that went downhill in a hurry, movin' on! Now before dandelion's name got tarnished, it actually was mostly used for its medicinal purposes which is why you can find it in most monastery gardens throughout the Middle Ages all the way up through the 1800s. Now there is actually a wide variety of different herbal historians and texts that mention dandelion's, but by far the most interesting mention about dandelion's comes to us from famous English botanist, John Gerard. Now it's actually not so much what he said about dandelion's, that's the most interesting. It's what he says right after dandelion's qualities that's really head turning. Gerard says, if you look a little further, you may see plainly without a pair of spectacles that foreign physicians are not as selfish as ours. I guess it's no small wonder why the rest of the English physicians didn't really like Gerard and his biting candor. And dandelion has also been recognized throughout history by many great writers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and his friend Walt Whitman, who wrote about it in the poem The First Dandelion, and even Charles Darwin, who admired how dandelion's open and closed with the sun like a clock. We even find them referenced by the world's most famous bard, Shakespeare. Ehh, sorry I'm gonna have to go to the judges on this one. There are many that believe it is the dandelion that Shakespeare references in the song Fear no more the heat of the sun and cymbaline with the line, golden lads and girls all must as chimney sweepers come to dust. You see in Shakespeare's day, golden lads and chimney sweepers were actually both regional terms for dandelions. Hey, it's a hoax, foul I say, foul! According to author E. Charles Nelson, this is in fact, false. This myth was apparently created by Hugh Kenner in his book, The Pound Era. And then people just quoted him as gospel without actually checking the information. Always checked your facts people. Dandelions can predict the weather. As rain approaches, dandelions will close up protecting the flower. And after the threat of rain has moved along, this barometric flower will open once again. Triumphant against the scourge of rain and wetness. That's gotta be a hoax too, right? Nope. Despite how it works like a clock, dandelions will actually open and close according to the humidity level in the air. Now there are a couple of theories on how dandelions reach the Americas. But the wide consensus is that once again, the good old pilgrims brought it on over with them from England. Why would they bring these pesky weeds over with them, foolish pilgrims? Well, it's actually because dandelions have lots of medicinal uses and the pilgrims knew it. They also used dandelions in a lot of different foods, including wine and beer. So by the time the first shots were fired in the American Civil War, dandelions were already naturalized throughout the Deep South, where you would commonly find rebel soldiers using dandelion roots as a substitute for coffee. Indigenous Americans also quickly sweep up dandelions for all of their medicinal benefits. And by the time the gold rush happened in the late 1800s, dandelions had creeped all the way up through Canada into Alaska. Now around this time, people actually loved dandelions so much they would pull other things out of their gardens to plant dandelions. So how the heck did dandelions become so freakin' hated? One word, lawns. It all really started in 1830 when Edwin Beard Butting created the first lawnmower. This dastardly instrument became widely produced by 1890, when the rich folk of England and America were merrily using its evil dandelion killing capabilities to restructure their gardens in greenery. Things became even darker for dandelions when awful William Levitt introduced the world to the horrors of the American cookie cutter home, complete with pre-manicured lawns, beginning in 1952. And things only got worse from there. There was actually a little window of hope for the newly-discraced dandelion in World War II. You see, at the time, the Japanese actually controlled 90% of the world's rubber production. And when the war started, the United States was actually using half of the world's rubber supply. So of course, when Japan attacked, that meant no more rubber. And as a single battleship could use as many as 75 tons of rubber. Japan needed to find ways to make more rubber and fast into the amazing dandelion. You see, in the milky white juice that comes out of the stems of dandelions, there is natural latex, which can be used to make rubber. Yay, dandelions to the rescue! But then the war ended. And to add insult to injury for the dandelion, people turned to pharmaceuticals and forgot about the medicinal powerhouse qualities of dandelions. And that's why they're now thought of as nothing more than weeds. But fear not, dandelion lovers, for these masters of survival will find a way to thrive again. For their roots can go 15 feet down into the soil, cut off their heads, and like the hydra of old, they can regrow new stems from only one inch of root! It's time to rethink your skewed beliefs of this forgotten wonder. Dandelions may survive, but we must end the carnage now! And all joking aside, this is actually very true. An estimated 80 million tons of pesticides are currently being used every year just to make people's lawns look pretty. And pesticides kill not only dandelions, but local wildlife as well. So please, if you haven't already, rethink your beliefs about dandelions. They can be used in food, wine, beer, medicines, even in tea! I mean heck, dandelion coffee is actually considered a delicacy in some places, and costs more per pound than prime rib or lobster! So let's give the dandelion its due, and restore it to its former glory! If you want to learn more amazing things about herbs, please check out the mythology of time or the history of rosemary! Are you a dandelion lover or hater? Please let me know in the comment section down below which team you belong to! Go dandelion love! You guys take care of each other and please start giving dandelions the respect they deserve.