Dandelions: the world's golden globetrotters

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Dandelions grow everywhere, except in Antarctica. They are in the arctic of Canada, in Patagonia, in New Zealand, in Indonesia; anywhere you can think of. Scientists think that they originated in Europe, but apparently spread quickly to Asia, as they were used as a medicine in China over a thousand years ago. The early colonists to North America brought seeds with them, as they were traditionally used to treat various ailments and for their nutrients: high in vitamins A, C, and K. Emigrants from Europe also took them to southern Africa, India and Australia. We do have native dandelions in many places as well, but nothing can compete with these plants, which in South Carolina bloom every month of the year. And all it takes is a gentle breeze to spread these seeds farther and farther.