King devil hawkweed (Hieracium piloselloides)
Images courtesy Wisconsin State Herbarium
EDRR Species?:
No
Other common names
Tall hawkweed, Yellow king devil hawkweed
Description
Perennial, flowers June to July in lower elevations. Grows 10 to 36 inches tall. Leaves are hairy, spatula- shaped and almost exclusively basal. Flower heads are clustered, yellow and number up to 30 per plant. Extensive stolons form dense mats of vegetation. King devil hawkweed, Yellow hawkweed and Meadow hawkweed are all very similar and difficult to classify. Native hawkweeds have numerous stem leaves, lack stolons, and generally have solitary flowers.
Impacts
Plants of the hawkweed complex produce mats of rosettes that prevent desirable plants from establishing or surviving. Hawkweeds dominate sites by out-competing other species for water and nutrients and by releasing alleopathic compounds from their own decaying leaves. They grow well in moist, sunny, grassy areas, but do tolerate shade in some areas. They are becoming troublesome weeds in native meadows, prairies, pastures and lawns. Wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest are at risk of invasion.
