Krigia dandelion is a native perennial herb widespread across the eastern and central United States, from New Jersey south to Florida and west through Texas into Missouri. It grows in semi-moist sandy or clay-loam soils, equally comfortable at a woodland edge, in an old pasture, or along a roadside. In April and May, single yellow-orange flowers on leafless stems rise from low basal rosettes of narrow, sometimes lobed leaves, and the display is modest but cheerful. The flowers close at night and on overcast days, which gives them a watchful quality in the garden.

What sets this plant apart from the common dandelion it superficially resembles is the network of stolons just below the soil surface, each one strung with small half-inch tubers that are genuinely edible, which accounts for the "Potato" in its common name. All parts of the plant are edible, and it has a place in an informal herb or foraging garden. It spreads by both rhizome and seed and can naturalize readily, which is either an asset or a caution depending on the site. A note: the milky stem sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.