Dandelions are unavoidable.
They appear in every back garden or spare patch of land and are extremely difficult to eradicate completely from your plot. Luckily for us, this is not always a bad thing, because every part of the dandelion plant is edible. It is even considered a delicacy in other countries, such as France- where they call it la dent-de-lion (Lion’s tooth) or sometimes le pissenlit (piss the bed- due to the plants diuretic qualities)
Dandelions are a great source of vitamins B, C and pro-vitamin A. They have been used medicinally in the past for stomach complaints and to help to dissipate gallstones as they are believed to improve kidney function.
Most importantly, this highly nutritious plant can be eaten in abundance for free. It is easily identifiable, so is a good starter plant for new foragers and children to collect.