Dandelions an early wildflower for pollinator insects, but is it the most nutritious for them?
Well, last summer I collected a lot of dandelion seeds with the intent to create a garden area just to grown dandelions this year. Part of my plan was to plant dandelion for its edible leaves and roots for teas and salads. The other benefit was that I thought I would be helping pollinators. Every year a lot of dandelions are chopped with the lawn mower while they are in full bloom; This always bothers me because I see bees on them (like the bee in the photo below, covered in pollen).
From my findings online, however, when it comes to bees, the pollen protein count for dandelion is about 14%, whereas other blossoms, such as that of the pussy willow's which bloom at the same time are 40%, and some higher. To be honest I am ignorant on this subject. But it makes sense that some blossoms contain more nutritional pollen than others, and if pollinators such as honey bees find only dandelion blossoms for pollen then so be it, they are at least getting some nutritional value. That said, my worry was that planting dandelions on purpose might take away from pollinators going to other sources higher in pollen protein. Yet, from what I read bees will only go to dandelion when other pollen sources are few. I would not think this is the case because I have a LOT of early blooming plants with high pollen. Will my mason bees be more likely to go to blossoms that are within 6 feet of their nest versus 8 feet, even if the protein pollen is less in the closer plants? Would instinct not tell them to go to the plant further away because the bee itself will be healthier because the flower has a higher pollen protein?
Surely, dandelions may be better for some types of pollinators than others, such as pollen beetles which I read enjoy dandelion. And, from a little more research, during certain times of the day dandelions produce peak pollen, as does apples and other flowering trees and plants. That said, Dandelions are non-native. Native bees and perhaps beetles and other native insects are better off visiting native flowers that they have co-evolved with. Yet dandelions are a fairly low threat to ecosystems and small birds like their seeds.
I will post more in regard to my dandelion bed in the future on this same post.
DISCLAIMER-The content of this article is for educational purposes only. Before using or ingesting any wild herb or plant for edible or medicinal purposes, please consult a physician, medical herbalist, or other suitable professional for advice. Be overly cautious when foraging, and don't eat anything in the wild you are unsure of, and never harvest more than half of a patch of any given plant.
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A few good sources for pollen nutrition and other dandelion information:
