Dandelion flower. View of the flower head of a dandelion (Taraxacum sp.). The flower head is formed from many tiny yellow flowers, or florets, attached to its centre. Surrounding the florets are bracts (green, lower centre), which protected them in the bud. Dandelions are short perennial plants which grow in grassy areas and waste ground, and flower mainly between April and June. They have many medicinal properties, such as their mild laxative action which may be used to treat constipation.