As the spring thaws frosty earth, a familiar, hardy seed sprouts. The warm rays of light call it to surface; it unfurls its jagged leaves, debuts its soft, bright yellow mane, lets out a soft mew. Unlike its newborn kin-flowers, this one is sentient and magical.

Dandy Lions range between 20 - 50 cm tall, with 4 - 5 cm wide flowerheads, and 20 ft long taproots. They also grow five broad, green, toothy leaves that can reach 40 cm and can gently grasp neighboring plants. Unlike other dandelions, a Dandy Lion will only have one flowerhead at a time. They can be found in almost any vegetated habitat: fertile gardens, rocky hillsides, boreal forests, temperate woodlands, prairies, and other grasslands.

If undisturbed, a Dandy Lion can live up to thirteen years before its roots shrivel up and decay. During this time, a Dandy Lion may produce a maximum of 1,287 offspring. Due to their reproductive cycle, germination requirements, and increasing usage of weed killers, Dandy Lions are a rarity; there may…