Speaking of Tanpopo (dandelions), the general image is that they are yellow and bloom in spring.  Tanpopo is also a spring season word in haiku.  Native Tanpopo only bloom during the limited period of spring.  Western Tanpopo can be seen for a long time, not only in spring but also in summer.  Western Tanpopo have strong vitality, and the number of native Tanpopo is gradually decreasing.  Shirobana-Tanpop (Taraxacum albidum) is one of the few such native species, a more limited and rare dandelion.  Of course, it blooms in spring, but recently, I often see a note on SNS saying that I found Shirobana-Tanpopo in autumn.  Some people are worried that it may be due to climate variability, but like winter cherry blossoms, it has been around for a long time, and it seems that the cause is the misreading of the climate of the plants.  By the way, the flower language of Shirobana-Tanpopo is “Look for me and stare at me.”

タンポポと言えば、黄色くて春咲く花と言うのが一般的なイメージです。俳句でもタンポポは春の季語になっています。在来種のタンポポは春の限られた期間にしか咲きません。長く見られたり、春はもちろん、夏にも見かけるのは西洋タンポポです。西洋タンポポは生命力が強く在来種のタンポポは段々少なくなってきています。シロバナタンポポはそうした数少ない在来種の、更に限られた珍しいタンポポです。もちろん春にも咲きますが、最近は、秋にシロバナタンポポを見つけたと言う書き込みがSNSでもよく見掛けます。気候変動の性ではないかと危惧する方もいますが、冬桜と同じで昔からあり、植物の気候の読み違いに原因がある様です。因みに、シロバナタンポポの花言葉は「私を探して、そして見つめて」です。