Oriental false hawksbeard, also widely called Asiatic false hawksbeard, is a small East Asian weed that has spread quickly across the southeastern United States, popping up in lawns, flower beds, and even shady woods. It looks like a tiny dandelion with many small yellow flowers on a thin, branching stalk.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Usually 6–15 in (15–40 cm) tall, sometimes up to about 5 ft (1.5 m). The leaves and stems are hairy and ooze a milky sap when broken.
- Leaves
- A flat of fuzzy, lobed leaves at the base; leaves higher on the stem are few and narrow.
- Flowers
- Golden-yellow flower heads about ⅓ in (8 mm) across, many on each branching stalk.
- Flowering time
- Mainly spring to summer. In North Carolina it sprouts in mid to late winter and flowers in April and May; in Florida and elsewhere in the Southeast it can flower year-round.
- Fruit
- Small spindle-shaped seeds, light brown to reddish purple, each topped with white bristles.
Look-alikes
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Lawns
- Flower beds
- Roadsides
- Woodland edges
- Range
- Native to eastern Asia. In the U.S. it is mainly a Southeastern weed, with records north to Pennsylvania and west to Texas, and it also grows in Hawaii. It occurs across nearly all of Florida.
- Preferred conditions
- Thrives in disturbed ground but tolerates part sun to deep shade, moist or dry soil, and regular mowing.
- Flowering
Flowers Apr–May
Flowers Apr–May
Life cycle
- Seed dispersal
- Seeds float on the wind, and one plant can make seed many times in a year.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Threats
- It can form dense carpets of seedlings that crowd out other plants and can move into high-quality natural woodland in the Southeast.
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