Dandelions, or wishing flowers, are tall plants with yellow flowers with hundreds of thin petals radiating from a central disk. When they’re ready to propagate, a seed forms under each floret and the petals fall away to reveal a white puff ball of seeds that blow easily off the stem and float in the air. Seeds drift in the wind to germinate in new locations and take root and begin a new plant. Their leaves are several inches long with deep notches and gently pointed tips.

Due to the nature of dandelion seeds, there’s a good chance the dandelions in your grass took root after seeds from plants flew over from your neighbor’s lawn or even a yard further away. If your lawn suffered from dandelions in the previous year, seeds may have had a chance to germinate this spring, and parent plants could be returning.

There are several things you can do to prevent dandelions from taking root in your lawn. We recommend applying an herbicide to your lawn and garden toward the end of winter, before plants begin to emerge. Improving soil conditions in your lawn through proper maintenance and fertilization can help your grass grow tall and healthy and crowd out any chance of potential weed growth.