Mowing my lawn for the first time this year I came across a patch that was more dried dandelion than grass. I thought to myself: I wonder what does dandelion fluff weigh?
Being a sensible grown-ass-man, I decided that it was a totally reasonable use of my time (and excuse to find reprieve from mowing) to find out.
Thankfully I have a scale for very small and precise measurements. It’s not what you’re thinking! I got it for chemistry – for the stormglasses I made a while back. This little scale will register if you blow on it, so it’s perfect for weighing the dandelion fluff that floats on the breeze.
Methodology for measuring dandelion fluff:
- Measure a square foot of dandelions.
- Grasp at their fluffy heads and deposit at least 80% into a mason jar.
- Tare a ziplock on my chemistry scale.
- Stuff the fluff into ziplock and weigh it.
- Definitively solve one of the great mysteries of the modern universe.
Because I know you are dying to know, the ephemeral fluff from one square foot of dandelions weighs just over six and a third grams.
Oh hey, anyone need what I assume are around ten thousand dandelion seeds?
Shit – maybe I oughta count them…
The form of the seed is cunniform, squeezed tetrahedral, wrinkled, ribbed, the upper part with sharp spines. Weight of 1000 seeds 0.2 – 0.8 g. The plant reproduces by seeds and seldom vegetatively. One plant can produce 250-7000 seeds. Seeds are distributed by wind.