common dandelion Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. ssp. officinale

common dandelion 

Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. ssp. officinale 

Synonyms: Leontodon latiloba (DC.) Britton, nom. inq., L. taraxacoides (Vill.) Mérat, L. taraxacoides ssp longirostris 

Finch and Sell, L. taraxacum L., Taraxacum atroglaucum M.P. Christ., T. campylodes G.E. Haglund, T. croceum auct. 

non Dahlst., T. curvidens M.P. Christ., T. cyclocentrum M.P. Christ., T. dahlstedtii Lindb. f., T. davidssonii M.P. 

Christ., T. devians Dahlst., T. dilutisquameum M.P. Christ., T. firmum Dahlst., T. islandiciforme Dahlst., T. kok-saghyz 

auct. non Rodin, T. laevigatum (Willd.) DC. in part, T. latilobum DC., nom. inq., T. officinale F.H. Wigg. ssp. vulgare 

(Lam.) Schinz & R. Keller, T. officinale F.H. Wigg. var. palustre (Lyons) Blytt p.p., T. palustre (Lyons) Symons var. 

vulgare (Lam.) Fernald, nom. inq., T. pleniflorum M.P. Christ., T. retroflexum Lindb. f., T. rhodolepis Dahlst., T. 

undulatum Lindb. f. & Marklund, T. vagans G.E. Haglund, T. vulgare Lam., nom. inq., T. xanthostigma Lindb. f. 

Other common name: blowball, canker-wort, dandelion, faceclock, Irish daisy, lesser hawkbit, lion’s tooth, pee-a-bed, 

wet-a-bed, wandering dandelion 

Family: Asteraceae 

Invasiveness Rank: 58 The invasiveness rank is calculated based on a species’ ecological impacts, biological 

attributes, distribution, and response to control measures. The ranks are scaled from 0 to 100, with 0 representing a 

plant that poses no threat to native ecosystems and 100 representing a plant that poses a major threat to native 

ecosystems. 

Note on Taxonomy: The Taraxacum genus is 

taxonomically confusing because asexual reproduction 

causes local diversification. The genus has been subject 

to many divergent interpretations, and hundreds of 

specific names have been published. The current 

taxonomic treatments describe Taraxacum officinale as 

encompassing two subspecies, one of which is 

introduced in Alaska (ssp. officinale) and the other of 

which is native to Alaska (ssp. ceratophorum) (USDA 

2002). 

Description 

Common dandelion is a perennial herb that grows 5 to 

51 cm tall from a branched stem base with a thick, deep 

taproot. Leaves are basal, 5 to 40 ½ cm long, 1 ¼ to 10 

cm broad, and pinnately lobed to pinnatifid with hollow 

midribs and winged stalks. Flower heads rise from the 

basal leaves on hollow stalks and are composed of 

yellow ray florets. They are 2 ½ to 5 cm in diameter and 

surrounded by 2 rows of involucral bracts. The whole 

plant contains a white, milky juice (Welsh 1974). 

Flower head of Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. Photo by C. Evans. 

Similar species: The non-native T. officinale ssp. 

officinale can be distinguished from native Taraxacum 

taxa in Alaska by the absence of horns on its involucral 

bracts and by its substantially larger flower heads. 

Native Taraxacum species are found primarily in 

undisturbed, herbaceous, alpine meadows. 

Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. Photo by M. Harte. 

Ecological Impact 

Impact on community composition, structure, and 

interactions: Common dandelion competes with native 

plants for moisture and nutrients. It is commonly eaten 

by moose, bears, sharp-tailed grouse, pocket gophers, 

deer, elk, and bighorn sheep. Sage grouse and deer 

populations benefit from the increased production of 

common dandelion (Esser 1993). Common dandelion is 

an important source of nectar and pollen for bees in 

Alaska (Esser 1993). Its presence may therefore alter the 

pollination ecologies of co-occurring plants. This 

species is a known host for a number of viruses (Royer 

and Dickinson 1999). 

Last Updated: 2011-02-08 by Helen Klein 

http://aknhp.uaa.alaska.edu

Impact on ecosystem processes: Common dandelion is 

one of the first colonizers to appear after disturbances 

and likely causes modest impacts to natural successional 

processes. It often achieves a peak in dominance within 

two to three years (Auchmoody and Walters 1988). In 

Alaska, this species often establishes in existing 

herbaceous layers, changing the density of the layer. It 

can form a new herbaceous layer on exposed mineral 

soil along river banks and roadsides. 

Biology and Invasive Potential 

Reproductive potential: Common dandelion reproduces 

sexually by seeds and vegetatively by shoots that grow 

from the root crowns (Whitson et al. 2000). Each plant 

can produce up to 5,000 seeds per year (Royer and 

Dickinson 1999). Seeds remained viable for up to 5 

years in soil samples from Montana (Bard 1952) and up 

to 9 years in experiments in Nebraska (Burnside et al. 

1996); seed banks are generally long-lived (Pratt 1984). 

Role of disturbance in establishment: In Alaska, 

common dandelion is primarily found on disturbed 

substrates, but it also establishes in meadows (M. 

Carlson – pers. obs.). 

Potential for long-distance dispersal: Each seed has a 

spreading pappus and weighs little; thus, wind can 

disperse seeds considerable distances. In tall grass 

prairie communities in Iowa, seeds were blown several 

hundred meters from the nearest source population 

(Platt 1975). 

Potential to be spread by human activity: Seeds are 

likely transported on vehicles and in horticultural 

materials (Hodkinson and Thompson 1997). They are 

common contaminants in crop and forage seeds 

(Rutledge and McLendon 1996). 

Germination requirements: Seeds must be in the top 2 

½ cm of soil to germinate (Royer and Dickinson 1999). 

Litter and mulch inhibit germination. Common 

dandelion germinates best in burned sites (Esser 1993). 

Seeds do not require cold stratification to germinate 

(USDA 2002). 

Growth requirements: Common dandelion is adapted to 

all soil types with pH levels from 4.8 to 7.5. This 

species can withstand temperatures down to -39°C. It 

requires 100 frost-free days to grow and reproduce 

successfully (USDA 2002). 

Congeneric weeds: Rock dandelion (Taraxacum 

laevigatum), marsh dandelion (T. palustre), and showy 

dandelion (T. spectabile) are non-native species known 

to occur in North America. None are considered noxious 

weeds in the U.S. or Canada (USDA 2002). 

Legal Listings 

Has not been declared noxious 

Listed noxious in Alaska 

Listed noxious by other states 

Federal noxious weed 

Listed noxious in Canada or other countries (AB, MB, 

QC, SK) 

Distribution and Abundance 

Common dandelion grows in moist sites, lawns, 

meadows, pastures, and overgrazed areas. It also occurs 

in roadsides, waste places, and old fields. This species is 

considered a threat in montane forest and alpine zones 

in western Montana since it invades partially disturbed 

or undisturbed native communities and competes with 

conifer seedlings (Esser 1993). 

Native and current distribution: Common dandelion 

(Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) is native to 

Eurasia but has become naturalized throughout North 

America. It has been found in all 50 states of the U.S. 

and most Canadian provinces. This species has also 

been introduced into southern Africa, South America, 

New Zealand, Australia, and India (Hultén 1968, Esser 

1993). Common dandelion has been reported from all 

three ecogeographic regions of Alaska (Hultén 1968, 

ALA 2004). It invades meadows in Glacier Bay 

National Park and Preserve and river bars along the 

Nenana River and Stikine River (M. Shephard – pers. 

obs.). Common dandelion colonizes burned areas in the 

Kenai Peninsula (P. Spencer – pers. obs.). Common 

dandelion has been documented from all three 

ecogeographic region of Alaska (Hultén 1968, UAM 

2003, AKEPIC 2010). 

Pacific Maritime 

Interior-Boreal 

Arctic-Alpine 

Collection Site 

Distribution of common dandelion in Alaska 

Management 

Dandelion can be readily controlled with herbicides and 

spring burning. Hand pulling and cutting are generally 

ineffective because plants readily resprout from the 

caudex (Staniforth and Scott 1991). 

References: 

AKEPIC database. Alaska Exotic Plant Information 

Clearinghouse Database. 2010. Available: 



http://akweeds.uaa.alaska.edu/ 

ALA. University of Alaska Herbarium. Arctos on line 

database. 

http://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm. 

Accessed 10 November 2004. 

Auchmoody, L.R. and R.S. Walters. 1988. Revegetation 

of a brine-killed forest site. Soil Science 

Society of America Journal. 52: 277-280. 

Bard, G.E. 1952. Secondary succession on the Piedmont 

of New Jersey. Ecological Monographs. 

22(3):195-215. 

Burnside, O.C., R. G. Wilson, S. Weisberg, and K.G. 

Hubbard. 1996. Seed longevity of 41 weed 

species buried 17 years in Eastern and Western 

Nebraska. Weed Science. 44: 74-86. 

Carlson, M. L., Assistant Professor, Alaska Natural 

Heritage Program, University of Alaska 

Anchorage, 707 A Street, Anchorage, Alaska. 

Tel: (907) 257-2790 – Pers. obs. 

eFloras. 2008. Published on the Internet 

http://www.efloras.org [accessed 18 October 

2010]. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 

MO & Harvard University Herbaria, 

Cambridge, MA. 

Esser, L. L. 1993. Taraxacum officinale. In: Fire Effects 

Information System, (Online). U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain 

Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory 

(Producer). Available: 

www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ 

Hodkinson, D., K. Thompson. 1997. Plant dispersal: the 

role of man. Journal of Applied Ecology, 34: 

1484-1496. 

Hultén, E. 1968. Flora of Alaska and Neighboring 

Territories. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 

CA. 1008 p. 

Invaders Database System. 2010. University of 

Montana. Missoula, MT. 

http://invader.dbs.umt.edu/ 

ITIS. 2010. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 

http://www.itis.gov/ 

Platt, W.J. 1975. The colonization and formation of 

equilibrium plant species associations on 

badger disturbances in a tall-grass prairie. 

Ecological Monographs. 45: 285-305. 

Pratt, D.A., H.E. Ahles, R.C. Bell. 1984. Buried viable 

seed in a ponderosa pine community. Canadian 

Journal of Botany. 62: 44-52. 

Royer, F., and R. Dickinson. 1999. Weeds of the 

Northern U.S. and Canada. The University of 

Alberta press. 434 pp. 

Rutledge, C.R., and T. McLendon. 1996. An 

Assessment of Exotic Plant Species of Rocky 

Mountain National Park. Department of 

Rangeland Ecosystem Science, Colorado State 

University. 97 pp. Northern Prairie Wildlife 

Research Center Home Page. 

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/exp 

lant/index.htm (Version 15DEC98). 

Shephard, M. , Vegetation Ecologist, USDA, Forest 

Service, Forest Health Protection, State and 

Private Forestry, 3301 C Street, Suite 202, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Division. Tel: (907) 

743-9454 - Pers. com. 

Spencer P. Ecologist, National Park Service, Alaska 

Region - Biological Resources Team, 240 W. 

5th Ave, #114, Anchorage, AK 99501 tel: (907) 

644-3448 – Pers. com. 

Staniforth, J.G. and P.A. Scott. 1991. Dynamics of weed 

populations in a northern subarctic community. 

Canadian Journal of Botany. 69: 814-821. 

UAM. 2010. University of Alaska Museum, University 

of Alaska Fairbanks. Available: 

http://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm 

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), 

NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation 

Service). 2002. The PLANTS Database, 

Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National 

Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874- 

4490 USA. 

Welsh, S. L. 1974. Anderson’s flora of Alaska and 

adjacent parts of Canada. Brigham University 

Press. 724 pp. 

Whitson, T. D., L. C. Burrill, S. A. Dewey, D. W. 

Cudney, B. E. Nelson, R. D. Lee, R. Parker. 

2000. Weeds of the West. The Western Society 

of Weed Science in cooperation with the 

Western United States Land Grant Universities, 

Cooperative Extension Services. University of 

Wyoming. Laramie, Wyoming. 630 pp.

common dandelion Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. ssp. officinale

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