# Slender Hawkweed (*Hieracium triste*)

Slender Hawkweed is a bright yellow flower that grows in fields and meadows. Its cheerful blooms can brighten up any garden and attract butterflies and bees!

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

![Slender Hawkweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pilosella_tristis_5697.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pilosella_tristis_5697.jpg)

## Appearance

The Slender Hawkweed is a delicate plant featuring tall, slender stems sparsely covered in fine hairs. It has bright, lemon-yellow, daisy-like flower heads, each composed of many strap-shaped petals. Its narrow, hairy leaves are mostly found at the base, distinguishing it from broader-leaved hawkweeds.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Each sunny yellow flower head is actually made of many tiny flowers working together!
- Its name comes from an old legend about hawks eating them to improve eyesight!
- Some hawkweeds can make seeds without needing any pollen at all!
- This tough plant can grow where many others can't: high up on rocky mountains!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Slender Hawkweed has tiny glandular hairs on its stems and leaves to deter hungry insects from taking a bite!
- **Mountain Grip:** Its tough root system helps Slender Hawkweed anchor itself firmly in rocky, high-altitude soils, resisting strong winds.
- **Wind Rider Seeds:** Slender Hawkweed releases fluffy, parachute-like seeds that catch the wind, spreading its babies far and wide.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding reproduction.
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — May browse its leaves and shoots.
- **Pollinates:** [Mourning Cloak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mourning-cloak) (*Nymphalis antiopa*) — Butterfly sips nectar from its blooms.

## 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 unless an adult says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Slender 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 Slender Hawkweed?

15-50 cm

### How wide does Slender Hawkweed spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Slender Hawkweed?

1-2.5 cm

### When does Slender Hawkweed bloom?

Summer

### Is Slender Hawkweed edible?

No

### Is Slender Hawkweed toxic?

None

### What is Slender Hawkweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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: [Slender Hawkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/slender-hawkweed)