Common Dandelion (taraxacum officinale)

Dandelions are often seen as weeds but they are excellent sources of pollen and nectar for insects. 

They are part of the daisy family of flowers and are composite flowers which means that each flower is made up of lots of little flowers - which is why they have lots of pollen and nectar. 

After flowering they develop into dandelion "clocks" with lots of seeds supported by white feathery "parachutes" which help the seeds to disperse. They are called "clocks" because of the game you can play - the number of "blows" it takes to blow all the seeds off the stem equals the time of day! 

Their name comes from French "dent de lion" which literally means lion's tooth because the outer petals are thought to resemble jagged lion's teeth.

So if we want to support wildlife, the best thing we can do is to leave the dandelions to grow.