How to Get a Golden Dandelion in Minecraft (26.1)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a golden dandelion with 8 gold nuggets around a regular dandelion, then feed it to any baby mob to freeze its aging forever - feed a second one to resume growing. Wandering traders also sell it. Added in Java 26.1 and Bedrock 26.10.

What you need

1 dandelion
8 gold nuggets (1 gold ingot makes 9)
Or emeralds for the wandering trader

Step by step

Craft it: surround a dandelion with 8 gold nuggets (a full ring) on the crafting table. That's not even one gold ingot - a single ingot makes 9 nuggets.
Or buy it: wandering traders can sell golden dandelions for emeralds. In Bedrock, a trader killed while offering one as a trade has a 25% chance (+1% per Looting level) to drop it if you're holding an emerald.
Freeze a baby mob: use the golden dandelion on any baby mob that normally ages (except villagers) to pause its growth permanently. Downward particles confirm the lock, and the mob won't despawn.
Resume when ready: feed a second golden dandelion to the same baby to restart its aging - upward particles confirm it. There's a 2-second cooldown per mob.
Use it for zoos and farms: keep a baby snifflet (they take 40 real minutes to grow up), a pet baby fox, or a baby axolotl small forever, then grow them exactly when you want.
Know the exceptions: it can't be composted, doesn't attract bees, can't be spread with bone meal, and doesn't work on mobs with the cannot_be_age_locked tag (or tamed baby skeleton/zombie horses).
Extra crafting (Bedrock): since 26.10, golden dandelions can be crafted into yellow dye and used for suspicious stew.

Java vs Bedrock

Mechanics are the same in both editions. Java got it in 26.1 (snap5), Bedrock in 26.10 (Preview 26.10.21). The 25% drop trick from wandering traders killed mid-offer is Bedrock-only, as are the yellow dye and suspicious stew recipes (26.10.23+).

Versions: Golden dandelions were added in Java Edition 26.1 (snap5) and Bedrock Preview 26.10.21. Particles for the aging lock arrived in snap10, and support for small sulfur cubes in 26.2.

Frequently asked questions

What does a golden dandelion do?

Feeding it to a baby mob freezes its aging: the mob stays a baby forever and won't despawn. Feeding a second one resumes normal growth. It works on almost every baby mob except villagers.

How do you craft a golden dandelion?

One dandelion surrounded by 8 gold nuggets on the crafting table. Since one gold ingot makes 9 nuggets, each flower costs less than an ingot.

Is the aging freeze permanent?

Yes, until you reverse it. The golden dandelion is consumed on use, and a second one on the same mob restarts aging - with a 2-second cooldown between uses on that mob.

Can you farm golden dandelions?

Not by bone meal - unlike other flowers they can't be duplicated that way. You craft them or buy them from wandering traders, so a gold farm is the renewable path.