Weed ID

ORANGE HAWKWEED

Asteraceae or Sunflower Family
Hieracium aurantiacum

GROWTH HABIT: Perennial herb, ranges from 1-3 feet in height. The entire plant contains a milky juice.

LEAVES: Basal rosette consists of narrow, spatula-shaped, hairy leaves four to six inches long and darker green on the upper than the lower surface. Bristly hairs appear on the leaves.

STEMS: Usually leafless flowering stems, occasionally one to three small leaves present. Bristly hairs present on the stem.

FLOWERS: Five to 30 flower heads form a compact, umbelliform inflorescence on the terminal stems. Flower heads have red-orange petals with notched tips. Flower by mid-June and produce seeds by August.

ROOTS: Shallow, fibrous, and creeping. One flowering plant can produce 4 to 12 leafy stolons that can reach a length of 4 to 12 inches. Vigorous stolon growth quickly expands the colony, forming dense patches that can have as many as 3,200 plants per square yard.

SEEDS: Viable up to 7 years.

REPRODUCES: By seeds, rhizomes, stolons, and adventitious root buds. Reproduces asexually.

HABITAT: Moist pastures, forest meadows, abandoned fields, clearcuts, and roadsides.

"Look out for this weed's native look-a-like"