Meadow Hawkweed Leaves | Slide Mouse

Plants have rosettes of strap or lance shaped leaves at the base of the stem.

Meadow hawkweed leaves. The leaves lie flat to the ground overlap and will smother non vigorous turf. Stems leaves and bracts have dense blackish hairs and exude milky juice when broken. The protein content of leaves ranged from 7 similar to low quality cured timothy hay to 11 equal to high quality grass hay callihan et al. The plant has an attractive brightly colored dandelion like flower that rises from a short rosette of 4 to 6 inch 10 20 cm long flat narrow leaves.

The stems are bristly and usually leafless although occasionally a small leaf appears near the midpoint. The meadow group of hawkweeds are distinguished by strap shaped leaves that are not obviously toothed flowerheads that are generally in compact clusters on tops of mostly leafless hairy stems and the presence of creeping stolons runners. A dry roadside dotted with small inch red orange flowers interspersed with very similar yellow ones and often the white of daisies is a good sign that you are in hawkweed country. Juice in wine promotes digestion expels wind and neutralizes acidity in the stomach.

There are also usually one or two small leaves on the stem. Hawkweed stems contain a milky sap and may extend 10 to 36 inches 25 91 cm out from the plant. The entire plant contains a milky juice. Hawkweeds hybridize freely with native and non native species and are very difficult to identify to species.

Www kingcounty gov weeds january 2010 page 2. Another difference is that all species of pilosella have leaves with smooth entire margins whereas most species of hieracium have distinctly dentate to deeply cut or divided leaves. The leaves are covered in fine hairs the number of which varies by species. King county noxious weed control program hawkweed bmp 206 296 0290 website.

Decoction taken with honey and. This herb is used in cases of edema or fluid retention kidney stones cystitis and hyper uricemia. Hawkweeds are all perennials in the sunflower family with milky juice yellow or orange dandelion like flower heads and are bristly hairy overall. Scruple of the dried root given in wine and vinegar is good for the dropsy.

Meadow hawkweed leaves and flower buds are eaten by livestock deer and elk wilson and callihan insheley and petroff 1999. Meadow hawkweed was a dominant species 30 frequency in 10 year old fields. Canopy dominants included canada goldenrod solidago canadensis and hairy white oldfield aster.