# False Hawkbit (*Urospermum picroides*)

The False Hawkbit is a cheerful yellow flower that blooms in sunny places. Its bright petals look like little suns and attract many tiny insects, making it a happy sight in fields and gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![False Hawkbit](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ac%C4%B1yemlik_-_Urospermum_picroides_02.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ac%C4%B1yemlik_-_Urospermum_picroides_02.jpg)

## Appearance

The False Hawkbit has bright yellow, dandelion-like flowers with many tiny petals, often appearing slightly coarser. Its stems and leaves are covered in noticeable bristles or hairs, giving it a fuzzy texture. The deeply lobed leaves form a rosette at the base.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Urospermum

## Interesting facts

- "Urospermum" means "tail seed" because its seeds look like they have tiny, whiskery tails!
- Even though it's called "false," this plant's cheery yellow blooms are 100% real and can brighten any field!
- Its bright yellow flowers are like mini solar panels, turning slowly to follow the sun all day long!
- This plant is a speedy grower, quickly popping up in places where the ground has been disturbed, like gardens!

## Special abilities

- **Parachute Seeds:** False Hawkbit can release seeds with feathery parachutes that catch the wind, helping them spread far and wide.
- **Tough Sprouter:** False Hawkbit has a strong ability to grow quickly in disturbed soil, helping it colonize new areas fast.
- **Hairy Defender:** False Hawkbit has tiny hairs on its stems and leaves that can deter some hungry insects from munching on it.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — These busy bees collect nectar and pollen from its bright flowers.
- **Pollinates:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Flies are also attracted to its flowers, helping with pollination.
- **Eats:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails sometimes munch on the tender leaves of this plant.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don’t pick the flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify False Hawkbit?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is False Hawkbit?

10-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on False Hawkbit?

2-3.5 cm

### When does False Hawkbit bloom?

Late spring to fall

### Is False Hawkbit edible?

Yes

### Is False Hawkbit toxic?

None

### What is False Hawkbit's lifecycle?

Annual

### How is False Hawkbit pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-presidio-de-santa-barbara-state-historic-park) — California, US · Historic Site

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [False Hawkbit: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/false-hawkbit)