Hieracium umbellatum
canada hawkweed
Overview
Hieracium umbellatum is an upright perennial hawkweed 1-4 feet (30-120 cm) tall, growing from a short rootstock with one or several stiff, leafy stems. The narrow, lance-shaped to linear leaves are 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, sparsely toothed, stalkless, and spread along the stem rather than forming a basal rosette at flowering. Yellow flower heads, each 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) across and made up entirely of strap-shaped ray florets, are carried in a loose, flat-topped to umbel-like cluster at the top of the stem. It blooms from midsummer into autumn and sets seed in fluffy, wind-dispersed heads like a small dandelion. The plant grows on sandy soils, heaths, dunes, open woodland, and rocky ground across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It spreads by seed and can colonize bare, poor ground quickly. Broken stems exude a milky white sap typical of the chicory tribe.
Native Range
Hieracium umbellatum is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere, native through North America, Europe, and Asia. It grows on sandy and rocky soils, heaths, dunes, and open woodland.Suggested Uses
Used in sandy wildflower meadows, dune and heath plantings, and naturalized dry banks, spaced 12-15 inches (30-38 cm) apart. The late-summer flowers draw bees and butterflies in informal plantings. Its self-seeding suits wild settings rather than tidy borders.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 4'
Width/Spread1' - 1'6"
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from midsummer into autumn, July through September, with several yellow heads opening in succession on each cluster. Each head is made up entirely of ray florets and closes in dull weather. Seed heads of fluffy, parachute-tipped seeds follow and scatter on the wind.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-9 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