Hieracium venosum
rattlesnakeweed
Eastern United States and adjacent Canada
Overview
Hieracium venosum, rattlesnakeweed, is a perennial in the aster family grown for its rosette of leaves marked with conspicuous purple to maroon veins. The elliptic basal leaves, 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long, lie close to the ground, green above with a network of red-purple veins and often purplish beneath, edged with scattered long hairs. From late spring into summer a slender, nearly leafless stalk 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall rises from the rosette and branches into a loose spray of small yellow dandelion-like flower heads, each about 0.5-0.75 inch (1.2-2 cm) across. The heads close by afternoon and give way to tufted seeds carried on the wind. It grows in dry, open oak and pine woods, clearings, and sandy banks across the eastern United States, on acidic, well-drained, often poor soil. The plant tolerates drought, shade, and lean ground but is short-lived and small in flower, grown more for the veined rosette than the bloom. It spreads slowly by seed and short runners and does poorly in rich, wet, or limy soil.
Native Range
Hieracium venosum is native to the eastern United States and adjacent Canada, from Ontario and New England south to Florida and west to the Mississippi Valley. It grows in dry, open woodland, sandy clearings, and acidic banks, often under oaks and pines.Suggested Uses
Hieracium venosum is used in dry shade gardens, native plantings, rock gardens, and woodland edges where its veined rosettes show at ground level. Its flowers draw small bees and other pollinators.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from May to July, the heads opening in the morning and closing by midday. A single rosette sends up one or a few branched stalks that bloom over several weeks. Wind-borne tufted seeds follow through summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
green with purple-red veinsGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-8 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Hieracium venosum in full sun to part shade in dry, sandy or rocky, acidic soil with a pH of about 4.5 to 6.5. It needs sharp drainage and tolerates drought, poor fertility, and competition from tree roots, but does poorly in rich, wet, or limy soil. No feeding is needed; lean ground keeps the rosette compact and well-colored. Plants establish from seed or by division of the shallow runners. Established rosettes need almost no care beyond removing competing weeds.Pruning
Remove the spent flowering stalks after bloom to limit self-seeding and keep the focus on the rosette. The basal leaves need no pruning. Tattered leaves can be cleared as new ones form.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons