How many seeds do dandelions generate?

The common dandelion (taraxacum officinale) originated in Europe, but has spread to every continent, from the Arctic to the tropics. Each plant produces a single seed head that bears 40-100 or more seeds. This species and its relatives are quite variable in morphology, leading to much disagreement about how many species exist and how to distinguish among them. Some taxonomists consider there to be 60 species in the taraxacum genus, while others consider the number to be closer to 2,000!

Answered by Dr Ken Marr, curator of Botany, Royal BC Museum.