Question
I have approximately 6.3 acres 16 miles south of Olympia, Washington, which is 60 miles south of Seattle.  The Mima Mounds are location near and on the property.  We are typically a Zone 4.  The area has a praire tradition in rocky soils.  I have a large copse of white oak and some Doug fir on most, but 2.5 acres or so I've kept as open natural prairie with natural prairie grasses and lots of wild flowers in the spring, such as camas lilly, violets, buttercups, a small type of daisy, shooting star, wild strawberry, thin bentgrass,  St, Johnswort, spotted cat's ear, and Rhacomitrium moss grow in all areas

Lots of invasive plants, such as scotchbroom, which i hand control.  Two problems over the years are changing the face.  Moss has choked out much of the wild strawberry, and dandelions have become invasive.  The moss I can rake out with a thatcher.

What I would like to know is there a control for Dandelion that I can use without damaging the wildflowers?

Cheers, Patrick

Answer
Dandlions are dicots, same as most flowers and plants. Grasses on the other hand are monocots. The difference is in how they develop from seed to plants. Most common herbicides available today for lawns are those which targets dicots but leaves monocots intact. This works because generally you want nothing but monocots in the lawn and do not mind eradicating dicots (whatever the source).

I am not familiar with selective herbicides which kill dandelions specifically and leaves other plants like vilots, buttercups, and daisies, for example. Then again, hercidides are not my speciality and I would recommend that you talk to a local landscaper. Offhand, I doubt that there are hebicides capable of such differentiation.

Sorry
-- Kenneth