# meadow hawkweed (*Pilosella caespitosa*) Meadow hawkweed is a bright yellow flower that grows in fields and meadows. Its cheerful blooms can be seen in the summer, making the landscape look sunny and happy! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![meadow hawkweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yellow_Hawkweed.jpg&width=800) Photo: Konstantin Ryabitsev from Montréal, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow_Hawkweed.jpg) ## Appearance The meadow hawkweed has bright yellow, dandelion-like flowers clustered atop slender, hairy stems. Its narrow, slightly hairy leaves form a flat rosette close to the ground, often with reddish tints, distinguishing it from common dandelions. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Pilosella ## Interesting facts - Break a stem, and milky white sap will ooze out, just like a dandelion! - Its tiny seeds have fluffy parachutes to fly on the wind like mini hot-air balloons! - People sometimes call it "Fox-and-Cubs" because its flower clusters resemble playful animal families. - This plant is a master at growing in tough, poor soils where many other plants struggle! ## Special abilities - **Rapid Colonizer:** Meadow hawkweed can quickly spread by sending out runners that form new plants, helping it colonize open areas fast. - **Clone Factory:** Meadow hawkweed can produce seeds without needing pollination, creating perfect genetic copies of itself to spread easily. - **Tough Survivor:** Meadow hawkweed has tiny hairs on its leaves and stems that help protect it from thirsty grazers and conserve precious water. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Late Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — provides forage for deer - **Eaten by:** [Eastern cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — a food source for rabbits - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — provides nectar and pollen for bees - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — important nectar source for bumblebees ## 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. - [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 flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify meadow hawkweed? 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 meadow hawkweed? 15-60 cm ### How wide does meadow hawkweed spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on meadow hawkweed? 1.5-2.5 cm ### When does meadow hawkweed bloom? Late Spring to Late Summer ### Is meadow hawkweed edible? Yes ### Is meadow hawkweed toxic? None ### What is meadow hawkweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Colonial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonial-park) — New Jersey, US · Park - [Rogerson's Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rogersons-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wachusett-meadow-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Camp Greentop Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-greentop-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/william-l-hutcheson-memorial-forest) — New Jersey, US · Forest [View all places to see meadow hawkweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/meadow-hawkweed) ## 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*) --- Source: [Meadow Hawkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/meadow-hawkweed)