One of the most important skills you can have in a survival situation, especially if you’re bugging out, is the ability to identify plants for food or medicine. Even if your knowledge of plants is lacking, one of the easiest plants to safely spot that can be found virtually anywhere is the common dandelion. Known for being a pesky weed, this plant holds far more benefits in its leaves, roots, and flowers than most people give it credit for. In fact, the USDA ranks it in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value, making it a great source for food in any survival situation. It is rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, B vitamins, fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, and protein. Its pectin content can remove heavy metals and radioactive elements from the body, which would be useful in the event of a nuclear catastrophe.
Dandelion has a variety of different culinary uses. Its leaves can be used in salads, steamed, sautéed, or dried and made into a tea. The roots may be chopped and dried for tea or roasted for a caffeine-free coffee substitute. Both are best in early spring when the leaves first emerge and before the flower blooms or late fall when the flower has come and gone. They are otherwise very bitter in taste, but still edible. The flowers are also great for salads, tea, and for making wine.
With such a concentrated source of nutrients, it’s hard to imagine the dandelion wouldn’t have some fantastic medicinal uses as well. It can be used to prevent or cure liver diseases, can purify the blood, dissolve kidney stones, and improve gastrointestinal health just by consuming as food or as a tea or coffee. The milky white sap can be used topically to treat a variety of skin ailments such as itching, ringworm, eczema, and warts. It can even sooth blisters and bee stings and can be used as a mosquito repellent.
In the event that civilization does break down and food, doctors, and medicine become scarce, the dandelion could be a lifesaver.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. The information here is information I have gathered in my own research. These statements are not approved by the FDA.