# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![mouse-eared hawkweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mouse-Ear_Hawkweed_%28Pilosella_officinarum%29_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1369110.jpg&width=800) Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mouse-Ear_Hawkweed_%28Pilosella_officinarum%29_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1369110.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Pilosella ## 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 - **Ground Spreader:** Mouse-eared hawkweed can grow stolons, sending out runners to quickly colonize new areas. - **Clone Master:** Mouse-eared hawkweed can produce seeds without pollen, making clones of itself to spread fast. - **Fuzzy Protector:** Mouse-eared hawkweed has very hairy leaves that help it save water and deter munching animals. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — sometimes nibbles on its leaves - **Eaten by:** [garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — may graze on its soft leaves ## 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 ask an adult before picking any flowers. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify mouse-eared 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 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 ## Where to spot - [Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/delaware-division-of-the-pennsylvania-canal) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic Site - [Heckscher Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heckscher-park) — New York, US · Park - [Peace Candle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peace-candle) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Park Babelsberg, Potsdam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/park-babelsberg-potsdam) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Georgengarten & Welfengarten (Hannover)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgengarten-welfengarten-hannover) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park [View all places to see mouse-eared hawkweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mouse-eared-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: [Mouse-eared Hawkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mouse-eared-hawkweed)