The Best Flowering Plant

 
Tulips are the best flower according to Jane and Michael on Beer with Chocolate. Jane and Michael may have been slightly influenced by their Birthday Adventure in Holland.

Much as I hate to disagree with my offspring (), tulips are not the best flowering plant. Dandelions (from the French dent de lion - lion's teeth) are the best plant.

Not only are dandelions beautiful, they are hardy and ubiquitous. They can grow almost anywhere with a minimum of care. In fact, you have to make special efforts to get rid of them—something you would only do if you have an extreme anti-dandelion prejudice. These days, civic governments throughout Canada are banning herbicides in order to save the dandelion. (You don't see anyone doing that for tulips, do you Jane?)

The most common species of dandelion is Taraxacum officinale.

The flowers are pretty. You can eat the leaves. The leaves will cure many diseases. You can make wine with dandelions. A company in Belgium called Brasserie Fantôme even makes a dandelion beer called Fantôme Pissenlit. (= wet the bed, from dendelion's medicinal properties).

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