Dandelions Are Not All Created Equal

Thursday, March 24, 2016

There are dandelions and then there is the native Texas Dandelion (Pyrrhopappus paucifloras):

The winter rain has begun to work its magic. Wildflowers are blooming in abundance throughout South Texas. Among the more well known Bluebonnets and Pink Evening Primrose, Texas Dandelion standout because of their bright, almost neon, yellow color.

I find it particularly interesting that when this very bright yellow Texas Dandelion is used to make a natural dye for wool and many other fibers, it typically produces a University of Texas burnt orange dye.

These photos were taken on a walk on the Acequia Park loop trail along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River on Wednesday, March 23, 2016.

Click on the first photo in a post to open the photos in a slideshow view.