Is a dandelion a weed or a flower?
Devin and I discussed this yesterday. The majority of lawn-loving Americans would, I’m sure, vote for weed. But c’mon…dandelions have bright, cheerful flowers. Walk by an empty lot where no speck of lawn product has been applied and you’ll see hundreds of them flocking together in a festive gathering of yellow. Dandelions bring back childhood memories of rhymes. “Momma had a baby and her head popped off!” Who didn’t have fun flipping those soft, golden flowers off the stem? And how many other flowers morph into wispy, magical orbs that no kid (or grownup) can resist plucking from the ground to make a wish and watch the fuzzy seeds float on the breeze?
As much as I try to lessen their numbers in my yard, I consider them flowers. If only they’d sprout in a more orderly, controlled fashion, I’d be more likely to just let ’em go. Maybe I should. I’d have the brightest, cheeriest yard on the block, that’s for sure.
I call them “volunteers.”