Once pollination by bees or other insects has taken place, each fertilized floret produces a seed called an achene. Each seed pushes up through the floret and develops a feathery filament called a pappus. When viewed collectively on the dandelion's seed head, the filaments look like a white puff ball.

What happens when Dandelions turn white?

As you saw in the timelapse, once the flower head has matured, it closes up and the withered flowers contract into a bud-like shape and fall away, leaving just the tufty white parts called pappi, which will help wind disperse the dandelion fruits or cypsela.

Do all Dandelions turn white?

A yard full of golden dandelions in bloom can be a gorgeous sight. Eventually, all those beautiful flowers eventually turn to white globes of exposed seeds that are often called "puffballs." Dandelions grow so successfully because those puffballs disperse their seeds over long distances in a stiff breeze.