# white hawkweed (*Hieracium albiflorum*) White hawkweed is a cheerful flower that blooms with bright white petals. It grows in sunny places and can be found in meadows and along roadsides, making the world a little brighter! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Meadows ![white hawkweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hieracium_albiflorum_7318.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hieracium_albiflorum_7318.JPG) ## Appearance The white hawkweed has delicate white, daisy-like flowers with many narrow petals. These flowers grow on tall, slender, often hairy stems above a basal rosette of slightly hairy leaves. It looks distinctly airy and bright in open spaces. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Hieracium ## Interesting facts - Break its stem, and a milky white liquid might ooze out! - Even though it's white, it's related to dandelions, which are usually yellow! - Its name "hawkweed" comes from an old belief hawks ate it to improve their vision! - Some ancient cultures used its milky sap to help with minor skin irritations! ## Special abilities - **Rapid Spreader:** White hawkweed can spread quickly using underground stems or stolons, helping it colonize new areas fast. - **Hairy Defense:** White hawkweed has tiny hairs on its leaves and stems, which can deter some hungry insects and reduce water loss. - **Windy Traveler:** White hawkweed produces seeds with small feathery tufts, allowing them to float on the wind and spread far. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer (June-September) - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen, aiding in reproduction. - **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Spinus tristis*) — Feeds on the small seeds produced by the plant, especially in late summer. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on the leaves and stems, especially when other forage is scarce. ## 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. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking flowers to keep nature safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify white 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 white hawkweed? 30-90 cm ### How wide does white hawkweed spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on white hawkweed? 1-2 cm ### When does white hawkweed bloom? Summer (June-September) ### Is white hawkweed edible? Yes ### Is white hawkweed toxic? None ### What is white hawkweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Mehatl Creek Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mehatl-creek-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Nickel Plate Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nickel-plate-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## 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: [White Hawkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-hawkweed)