Historically, Carbondale was known for its fine and abundant potatoes. What is less known is that the dandelion was responsible for the transition from grain crops to potatoes, according to premier spud grower Eugene Grubb in “Carbondale Pioneers, 1879-1890” by Edna D. Sweet:
We grew alfalfa and our land was worth only $50 per acre, until Dad Weaver so longed for greens that he planted dandelions, which spread so they took our hay fields and compelled us to plow up our hay and to plant potatoes. We discovered that we could grow the finest potatoes in the United States, and our land promptly jumped from $50 per acre to $200.
Dandelions, from the French “dent de leon,” or lion’s tooth, were brought to the American continent from Europe’s home gardens. It was prized as one of the earliest spring crops, having both high nutritional value and documented medicinal properties.
The oldest reference to the plant in the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection (CHNC) is an 1865 ad in The Rocky Mountain News for Drake’s Plantation Bitters, a liver cleansing tonic containing dandelions and other herbs.
But dandelions were primarily used as food, all parts being edible in different applications. The roots make a delicious coffee substitute, the flowers are made into wine and used in salads along with the greens, which are more nutritious than spinach.
Dandelions were among the vegetable seeds brought west by the pioneers, quickly spreading from gardens to fields and parks. Within a few decades, the plant had lost its edible following, except among some immigrant populations, as observed in the Park County Republican and Fairplay Flume on March 19, 1926:
On almost any pleasant April or May morning, in the parks or grassy vacant lots … women may be seen gathering dandelion greens in huge bags which they carry on their backs. They are probably Italian or French women who have a dietary tradition about eating dandelion greens in the spring … Apparently, these Europeans are better acquainted than Americans with the value of dandelion greens as food.
The article ends with four recipes, including “wilted dandelion greens with bacon.” Rather than returning to their ancestral “roots,” descendants of Colorado’s pioneers increasingly saw the little yellow flowers as a nuisance and an eyesore. Newspaper articles turned from publishing recipes to articles like one titled “Fighting the Yellow Peril,” featuring photos of three women sitting on the ground digging dandelions, in The Rocky Mountain News on May 12, 1929:
The only effective weapon against the dandelion is the digging fork or knife. The lawn must be healthy, the turf thick, the dandelion seed must be curbed, but the basic strategy against the flower is digging.
Communities began holding “Dandelion Day” digging parties. The Longmont Daily Call advertised that children who dug three pounds of dandelions from city parks would receive a free matinee ticket to the local movie theater.
There was a brief resurgence in the plant’s value during the 1970s’ natural foods movement. A 1978 Rocky Mountain News article described farmers in Vineland, New Jersey, touted as the “Dandelion Capital of the World,” making $40,000 annually on the crop.
Ultimately, aesthetics won out, and the commercial chemical industry offered an effective and deadly solution to achieving a perfect weed-free expanse of grass. In addition to homeowners, municipalities used herbicides on parks and school grounds, turning them into toxic playgrounds for kids and dogs.
In 1998, this was a concern for residents of Carbondale, particularly John “Doc” Philip, who was on the Town Environmental Board at the time, according to Amy Kimberly’s column in the Aspen Daily News on May 15, 2003:
“It came to light that the town had overlooked spraying the town parks for weeds for the last several years,” says [Philip]. “Land is considered organic if left unsprayed for three years, so it seemed like a good opportunity to certify our parks as such, and forgo the spraying forever.” The board took it before the town trustees [who] secured organic status, declaring the dandelion the “official flower” of Carbondale.
The first Carbondale Dandelion Day in 1998 was organized to dig the “weeds” out of Sopris Park. With the creation of a Dandelion Day committee on the Environmental Board, the third Saturday in May became an annual festival celebrating spring and sustainability. It’s since been moved to the Saturday before Mother’s Day.
So when the yellow flowers start popping up, remember their historical value to humans, as well as their importance as the first spring food for bees. Let us heed the words published in The Rocky Mountain News on April 30, 1916:
Touch Not Yon Dandelion, O, Gardener! — We ask you to consider the dandelion… a flower of glory, a benefit, a boon, a blessing to mankind … The voice of the people is heard clamoring for a law prohibiting the destruction of dandelions. It is demanded that he who ruthlessly destroys just one precious little dandelion be punished most severely.
The 28th annual Dandelion Day is May 9 in Sopris Park. Visit the Heritage Garden booth for a free sample of dandelion root “coffee.”