Hypochaeris maculata

'Spotted Hawkweed'

[Ex. Nanos 1120 m., Slovenia]

Asteraceae: A distinctive perennial herb to 30cm. Found on calcareous pastures and grassy cliffs. The flower-heads are 3-5 cm across, with lemon-yellow florets and blackish bracts. The flowers are solitary, on bristly stalks. Blooming from June-August. The leaves are ovate, wavy-edged, bristly, and marked with reddish-purple spots. A rare and local plant in Britain. Native to Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia south and east to the Pyrenees, Northern Italy and Balkans.

USES:

The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. They are occasionally added to salads or boiled in broths.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Surface sow seeds in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed, it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring. Plants require a well-drained soil and a sunny position, growing well on chalky soils.

HARVESTED:

 

APPROX. 30 SEEDS