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Hieracium spp.

hawkweeds

Asteraceae Europe, Asia, and the Americas

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Hieracium spp. is a genus of perennial herbs in the daisy family (Asteraceae) containing several hundred to, by some counts, thousands of closely related microspecies, the result of widespread apomixis (seed set without fertilization). The genus is native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, and parts of Africa, growing in meadows, woodland clearings, rocky slopes, and disturbed ground. Plants form basal rosettes of hairy, often toothed leaves and send up branched, leafy or nearly leafless stems 4-48 inches (10-120 cm) tall, exuding milky sap when broken. The flower heads are dandelion-like, composed entirely of strap-shaped ray florets, usually yellow and occasionally orange or red, 0.5-1.2 inches (1.3-3 cm) across and carried in branched clusters. Seeds are dark and tipped with a pappus of brownish hairs that carries them on the wind. Unlike the related Pilosella spp., most Hieracium spp. species lack creeping runners and spread by seed alone, though several are still listed as invasive weeds in pasture and rangeland in North America, New Zealand, and Australia. A few species are grown for their yellow or orange heads. The dense hairs on leaves and stems are a constant feature across the genus.

Native Range

Hieracium spp. species are native across Europe, temperate and northern Asia, North and South America, and the mountains of Africa, with great diversity in Europe and the Americas. Several Eurasian species have naturalized in North America and the Southern Hemisphere, where some are regulated as noxious weeds.

Suggested Uses

Yellow- and orange-flowered Hieracium spp. species are occasionally grown in wildflower meadows, gravel gardens, and informal borders where self-seeding is acceptable. The long-stalked heads are used in naturalistic and pollinator plantings. In regions where the genus is invasive, planting it is restricted or prohibited.

How to Identify

Identified by basal rosettes of hairy leaves and branched stems bearing dandelion-like heads made entirely of strap-shaped florets, in yellow to orange, with milky sap throughout. The seeds carry a pappus of dirty-white to brown hairs. Most species spread by seed and lack the above-ground runners of Pilosella spp., which is the chief feature separating the two genera. The bristly hairs on the leaves, stems, and flower bracts are characteristic.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 4'

Width/Spread6" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~14 weeks

Summer Fall

Most hawkweeds flower from early summer into autumn, roughly June to September, with the main flush in midsummer. The heads open in the morning and close in the afternoon and in dull weather. Bloom is followed quickly by wind-borne seed, and plants can flower in their first or second year from seed.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow to orange

Foliage Description

green, hairy

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.5 - 7.0(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years from seed

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

These plants grow in full sun to part shade and tolerate poor, dry, acidic soils, including gravelly and rocky ground where many garden plants grow poorly. They need little water once established and no feeding, as lean soil suits them better than rich ground. Open, low-fertility sites and thin turf let seedlings establish readily, so the plants spread fastest in disturbed and overgrazed land. Heavy, fertile, densely planted ground slows their spread by competition. Because several species are invasive, removing flower heads before seed set and growing them in contained beds limit their movement. Few pests or diseases affect them.

Pruning

Removing the flower heads before they ripen seed is the main task, as it limits the wind-blown spread that makes the genus weedy. Cutting or mowing reduces seeding but does not kill the rosettes, which regrow. Whole stems are cut to the base in late autumn.