Taraxacum albidum aka Japanese Dandelion

Taraxacum albidum is a perennial in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Its native range covers central and southern Japan, reaching the Nansei Islands. It grows in temperate regions and reaches about 1.3 feet [0.4 metres] tall. Wild plants occupy sunny ground disturbed by people. These sites include roadsides and fields under cultivation. Records place these habitats below about 1,640 feet [500 metres] in elevation.

The plant flowers from March to May. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers, and the plant is self-fertile. It has a taproot, which needs room when grown in pots. Enzyme studies suggest that this species has a single hybrid origin. The proposed parents are Taraxacum japonicum and an unknown tetraploid species. That finding concerns its ancestry, rather than its garden care.

Grow it in full sun or light shade. It prefers moist soil with plenty of humus and good drainage. It can grow in sandy, loamy, or clay soils. It also accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 4–8. It identifies cultivated beds as a place to grow this species. Its spring flowers and edible parts offer reasons to include it there.

The leaves, roots, and flowers have food uses. Eat the leaves raw or cooked, though their taste is bitter. Cook the roots before eating them. The flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Unopened flower buds can go into fritters. Dried, roasted roots provide a coffee substitute. Flowers make tea, as do the leaves and roots. The dried whole plant also has a use as tea. Plants For A Future reports no known hazards. That report does not establish safety for every person or pet. The same source lists no known medicinal or other uses.

Raise plants from seed in a cold frame in spring. Sow on the surface or add only a thin covering. Keep the compost from drying out during germination. Seeds should sprout within about two weeks. Move seedlings into separate, deep pots once large enough to handle. Set them outside in early summer. Division offers another way to raise plants in early spring. Divide them as new growth starts. Plants For A Future does not flag this species as weedy.