Southern Hawkweed

This common weed can grow and produce flowers on plants that range from 4 inches (10 centimeters) to 36 inches (91 cm) tall. The rhizome is short and stout. The broadly elliptic leaves can be up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) long and taper with teeth towards the base. Each flower head has 40-80 ray florets but no disc florets. Bracts surround the flower head; the receptacle (basal part of the flower on which the florets are attached) is flat and naked; heads tend to start together then become somewhat solitary on long leafless stems. The stalks below the heads are covered with scattered, simple and gland-tipped black hairs and contain a milky substance. The pale yellow flowers are produced during all of the summer months. The fruit are dark brown achenes.

Native to most of Europe, Hieracium lachenalii was introduced to temperate parts of North America, and to Australia. It can sometimes be found in soils that have been disturbed.

Europe. In Europe, the species is found in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Corsica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Russia.

North America. Subarctic America: Greenland. Canada: Provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. United States: States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.