How to Observe a Dandelion

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We want you to look for the first time that the plant blooms or flowers, not just the first time that you see the flower! It is very important that you find the patch of plants or the individual plant before the first flower blooms. You can put a Popsicle stick or another marker into the ground next to the plant that you will be watching. Metal tags can also be made; they will last longer so you can find your Dandelion year after year. To make a metal tag you will need some help from an adult and an aluminum can. Follow the instructions here.

You can also draw a little map and write instructions Pirate style! Four paces from the edge of the school and three paces to the telephone pole to your buried treasure!

It is important to chose a place at least 10 meters or three car lengths away from a building. The heat from the building can cause the flower to get a head start and bloom earlier. The same thing can happen if there are underground pipes or if the plant is in a crack in the sidewalk. If you are not sure, write a note with your observation and describe or draw where the plant is.

Record all of the information on the data sheet. The most important things we need to know are when you saw the first bloom and where it was!

Very Important: Make sure that your patch has not been mowed before you have made your first observation. Dandelions can flower again and again after being mowed. Remember we want the very first bloom that happens.

Be careful observing Dandelions in the rain as the flowers will close up in April showers…well actually in all showers. The Dandelion also closes up for the night and will reopen in the morning, the dew-moisture in the evening and morning cause this to happen.

Imposters: Dandelions in Disguise

Imposters are things that look similar to what we want to observe. We want Dandelions. The flower that looks most like this is the Coltsfoot. The Coltsfoot will bloom before the Dandelion in the spring and it also has a yellow flower.

There are a few ways that you can tell the difference. The first is from the shape of the leaves. Coltsfoot has hoof shaped leaves. Remember Dandelion leaves are jagged. The second way is from the stems, Coltsfoot has solid stems, remember Dandelion stems are hollow. (These could all be comparative questions.) The third way is from the hairiness of the stems and the leaves, Coltsfoot are very hairy Dandelions are not.



Think of the fact that Coltsfoot bloom first and need fur coats to stay warm! Dandelions are a little later so they do not need warm coats. Lastly, Coltsfoot flowers bloom before the leaves come out, so no leaves means it is not a Dandelion! Dandelion=Leaves

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