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mouse-eared hawkweed

Pilosella officinarum

Mouse-eared hawkweed is a cheerful little plant with bright yellow flowers that look like tiny suns! It grows close to the ground and loves to spread across fields and meadows.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The mouse-eared hawkweed has a rosette of oval, fuzzy, grey-green leaves close to the ground, resembling a mouse's ear. Slender, hairy stalks rise from the rosette, topped with a single, bright yellow, dandelion-like flower head.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusPilosella
mouse-eared hawkweed
flowering trait badgesummer_blooming trait badgefragrant_flower trait badgeedible trait badge
mouse-eared hawkweed

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

It can grow in very poor soil where many other plants struggle!

Its bright yellow flowers only open on sunny days!

The underside of its leaves often looks silvery-grey and fuzzy!

This plant can grow high up in mountains and withstand cold!

Special abilities

Ability

Ground Spreader

Mouse-eared hawkweed can grow stolons, sending out runners to quickly colonize new areas.

Ability

Clone Master

Mouse-eared hawkweed can produce seeds without pollen, making clones of itself to spread fast.

Ability

Fuzzy Protector

Mouse-eared hawkweed has very hairy leaves that help it save water and deter munching animals.

Ability

Tough Survivor

Mouse-eared hawkweed can release chemicals into the soil that make it harder for other plants to grow nearby.

Measurements & details

Height
10-40 cm
Spread
5-20 cm
Flower Size
1.5-2.5 cm
Bloom Season
Late spring to late summer
Edible
No
Toxicity
None
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

honey bee

Apis mellifera

visits flowers for nectar and pollen

pollinates

buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

helps spread pollen between flowers

eaten by

European rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

sometimes nibbles on its leaves

eaten by

garden snail

Helix aspersa

may graze on its soft leaves

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before picking any flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is mouse-eared hawkweed?

10-40 cm

How wide does mouse-eared hawkweed spread?

5-20 cm

How big are the flowers on mouse-eared hawkweed?

1.5-2.5 cm

When does mouse-eared hawkweed bloom?

Late spring to late summer

Is mouse-eared hawkweed edible?

No

Is mouse-eared hawkweed toxic?

None

What is mouse-eared hawkweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

How is mouse-eared hawkweed pollinated?

Insect

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