Gardeners are being told not to weed and remove dandelions from their lawns – because they are actually hugely beneficial to pollinators like bees. The little weeds are everywhere at this time of year, popping up on lawns, along driveways and on pathways and patios, breaking up your fine green grass with an explosion of yellow – and a thick bundle of dandelion leaves too.
Many gardeners will tell you that dandelions are weeds, and they need to be aggressively targeted and removed. Some use weedkiller to vanquish them, others will pull them out by hand, or use a natural weedkiller like vinegar. But increasingly, garden experts are urging people to consider leaving at least some of the dandelions growing in gardens alone – because of the massive benefits they can bring to your garden and the boost they provide to your garden’s ecosystem.
According to The Wildlife Trust, dandelions, across their 239 varieties in the UK, support as many as 50 different species of insects including bees, moths, flies and wasps which in turn plays a vital role in the food chain.
They said: “Some of those insects are pollinators and are eaten by birds, so they all play a vital role in the food chains that wildlife relies on.”
In April 2023, Alison Steadman, actress and ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, issued a plea to gardeners to spare dandelions from weeding. She said: “I absolutely love relaxing in my garden listening to birdsong. Longer lawns offer birds the perfect foraging spots especially when there are plenty of wildflowers in amongst the grass.
“One of my favourite animals is the hedgehog and what better way to make them feel welcome than a luscious patch of grass and wildflowers to hunt for worms and beetles? I do hope you’ll join me in freeing your lawn and letting golden dandelions flourish this year for a splash of colour!”
The RHS backs up this call. They said: “Dandelions are now known to have many benefits and uses, transforming gardeners’ opinions from weed to wildlife plant.
“Their value to wildlife, providing food to many insects and birds, is perhaps the main reason why they should be welcomed in our gardens. Their nectar- and pollen-rich flowers appear over a long period and are loved by bees and butterflies – which is why dandelions are included on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. The early flowers are especially valuable as they provide food at a time when other sources are scarce. The seeds that follow provide food for bullfinches, greenfinches, goldfinches and serins.
“Do I need to get rid of dandelions? No – allowing dandelions to grow in your lawn, wildflower meadow, wildlife corner or in less-cultivated areas is a great way to boost the biodiversity of your garden. You could even grow a small patch in your veg beds to encourage pollinators to your crops and to use for harvesting.
“You can control the spread of dandelions by deadheading and removing any seedlings that appear out of bounds, so there is space in almost all gardens for this valuable wildflower. You may, however, want to remove those growing in fine lawns or highly cultivated beds and borders.”
