376 INFORMATIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Dandelions: The Uncommon Weed
1 What starts out yellow and ends up as a fluffy white ball? If I told you it was Taraxacum
officinale, would that ring a bell? What if I told you it was of the family Compositae—would
that excite your senses?
2 If you haven’t figured it out by now, the subject of which I am speaking is none other
than the common, ordinary dandelion. Yes, those bright, yellow flowers which we all, as kids,
eagerly snapped off the stems while chanting the words, “Mama had a baby and its head popped
off!” I’m sure all of us remember having blown the fluffy white tufts into the air above.
3 Although we have these pleasant memories from our childhoods, most homeowners con-
sider the dandelion as the most irritating and troublesome of all the weeds—partly because their
deep root system makes them almost impossible to get rid of. However, from a botany class, I
5 Throughout history, dandelions have been used to help cure various medical ailments.
Dandelions were reportedly used by the ancient Egyptians to treat kidney and stomach disorders.
The dandelion’s many cures were recorded by Arabian physicians in the tenth century. And in six-
teenth-century England, dandelion waters were used in the treatment of illness among the nobility.
6 Today, scientists know as a fact that the dandelion has great medicinal value. Accord-
ing to Mea Allan, in her book Weeds, the plant contains chemicals that stimulate blood circula-
tion, the liver, digestive organs, and especially the kidneys and bladder—which has gained the
dandelion fame as a so–called “potty herb.” Audrey Hatfield, in her book How to Enjoy Your
Weeds, says that a tea made from dandelion roots or leaves is helpful in relieving many condi-
tions. It helps relieve liver and lung disorders, and it helps treat anemia. In addition, it serves as
a mild laxative and is helpful in aiding digestion. Hatfield also suggests that dandelion tea is
highly effective in cases of eczema, scurvy, and similar skin conditions. So valuable is the dan-
delion in treating medical ailments that 100,000 pounds are imported into the United States
each year for this purpose.
7 If you have no interest in using dandelions for your health, you can still find them of use
in the kitchen. Historically, dandelions have been used as food for thousands of years. According
to an article in National Wildlife magazine, they were among the original bitter herbs of Passover,
DANDELIONS: THE UNCOMMON WEED 377
a Jewish holiday which commemorates the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. The Eng-
lish have been using dandelions in salads since the Middle Ages. And currently, many ethnic
groups in the United States—such as Greeks, Poles, French, Italians, and even the Amish—all
eat dandelions.
8 Parts of the dandelion can be utilized to make a variety of delicious foods. Its bitter
leaves, if picked before the yellow flowers appear, can be added to a salad. The leaves are usually
mixed with other vegetables to vary their flavor. The dandelion’s roots may be roasted in an oven,
then ground and used as a caffeine–free coffee substitute. The golden yellow flowers can be
steeped in water and then used to produce a delicious wine. And the entire dandelion plant may
be used to make beer.
11 Every March the town hosts its annual seven–course dandelion dinner. The menu consists
of dandelion soup, dandelion salad, dandelion sausage, dandelions and vegetables, dandelion beef
roulade, dandelion sweet cup, and dandelion wine. Tickets for the dinner sell for $25 apiece, with
people coming from as far away as Ohio. Former Vineland mayor Patrick Fiorilli has humorously
summed up Vineland’s position in the dandelion world: “In your yard, you go out and pull the
dandelions out of the grass. Our farmers pull the grass out of the dandelions.”
12 As we have seen, then, the dandelion is a greatly misunderstood plant. Despite its repu-
tation as an irritating weed, in reality it is a very useful plant. Having various medical and culi-
nary uses, the dandelion stands as one of the most underrated and least appreciated plants in the
world. Hopefully, in the future, more people will come to recognize the usefulness of the dande-
lion, thereby reestablishing this “common” weed as a truly uncommon plant.
378 INFORMATIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Dandelions: The Uncommon Weed
Commentary
Creative, crisply organized, and packed with fascinating supporting materials, “Dandelions: The Uncom-
mon Weed” is a fine example of how to produce a captivating informative speech on a seemingly ordi-
nary topic. Here is a synopsis of the speech.
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the medical and culinary uses of dandelions.
Central Idea: Despite its reputation as an irritating weed, the dandelion’s medical and culinary proper-
ties make it a very useful plant.
Method of Organization: Topical
Introduction: The speaker opens with a series of three rhetorical questions that capture attention by
arousing the audience’s curiosity. She follows, in paragraph 2, by revealing the subject of her
speech and by relating it directly to the audience. In paragraph 3, she establishes her credibility
and previews the main points to be discussed in the body. All in all, this is an excellent example
of an introduction for a speech to inform.
Body: Organized in topical order, the body of this speech contains two main points. The first, running
from paragraph 4 through paragraph 6, explores the medical uses of dandelions. After explain-
ing that the scientific name of the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, indicates that the plant is
used by druggists and pharmacists (paragraph 4), the speaker notes some of the ways it has
been employed throughout history to cure medical ailments (paragraph 5). In paragraph 6, she
relates what modern medical science knows about the medical value of dandelions. Because
she is not a medical expert, she is careful to identify the sources of her information.
