Archive | The dandelion, a despised treasure that grows every spring

The dandelion, an unloved plant, has many surprising qualities.

Each spring, the appearance of dandelions enrages those who want to have an impeccable lawn to line their house. However, as our archives show, this hated plant has many surprising virtues.

“They grow everywhere, invade our flowerbeds. We consider them as weeds and we don't know what to do with them. A solution? Collect them to taste them. »

— Andrée Langlois, 2006

Did you know that there are 1500 varieties of dandelions in the world?

Report by journalist Andrée Langlois on the nutritional and medicinal virtues of dandelion.

Le 14 June 2006, the journalist Andrée Langlois, from the show L'épices, invites us to explore the nutritional qualities of this unloved plant.

It is the botanist Edith Smeesters who makes us discover the multiple culinary qualities of the dandelion.

It should be understood that dandelion belongs to the same family as chicory or lettuce. It is therefore a leafy vegetable which, like its relatives, is excellent in salads.

Dandelion leaves are less bitter when picked before flowering.

You can cook them to incorporate them into soups or quiches, for example.

As for the flower buds, they can be pickled to be transformed into capers.

Dandelion greens are very nutritious.

Dandelion greens contain, weight for pound, as much vitamin C as a lemon, more iron than spinach and almost twice as much vitamin A as the carrot.

Edith Smeesters also underlines the medicinal virtues of the dandelion.

A decoction of the root of this plant is very diuretic and purifying.

It is used in particular to eliminate excess water partially responsible for excess weight and to clean clogged livers and gall bladders.

Did you know that the dandelion is also grown? This is particularly the case in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.

The dandelion exploited by market gardeners results from a crossbreeding, does not produce flowers, and its leaves have a sweeter than wild varieties.

“It's been a long time since we recognized the virtues of dandelions. To be convinced of the contrary, you have to see this field in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, in Centre-du-Québec. »

— Rachel Brillant, 2013

Report by journalist Rachel Brillant and director Michel Dumontier on the manufacture of natural rubber with the roots of Russian dandelions.

On March 9, 2013, journalist Rachel Brillant and director Michel Dumontier offer us a report on La Semaine verte which shows us the dandelion under a whole other day.

Errol Duchaine hosts the show.

In Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Martin Trépanier, a researcher at Laval University, grows dandelions in a field.

But not just any dandelions. Martin Trépanier's proteges are Russian dandelions.

The Russian dandelion has an interesting characteristic: its roots can contain up to 10% latex.

Half the rubber used is made from a plant called the rubber tree.

At the time, a disease was decimating the rubber trees in the producing countries of Southeast Asia. We fought it with a lot of insecticides and pesticides.

The other half of rubber production is made with fossil fuels, especially oil. This synthetic oil is expensive and polluting.

During the Second World War, several countries, including the Soviet Union and Canada, cut off the supply of natural rubber from Asia Southeast, had turned to Russian dandelion to meet their rubber needs.

Martin Trépanier wants to put natural rubber produced with the roots of this plant back on the market.

In addition to being a durable product, rubber made with Russian dandelion roots is more elastic, more resistant and less allergenic than synthetic rubber.

Several laboratories in the United States and Europe are also interested in Russian dandelion.

But in 2013, producing rubber with this plant was more expensive than doing so with oil.

The idea was therefore somewhat abandoned.

However, in the context of the fight to reduce the use of fossil fuels and the rise in the price of oil, the rubber produced using dandelion roots could find a buyer.

This is particularly the case for the aeronautical industry, which is once again interested in the properties of this plant.

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