Leontodon saxatilis is a small dandelion-like hawkbit (Asteraceae) with a basal rosette and yellow flower heads on leafless stems. It is a common wild herb rather than a garden cultivar, and it is often a weed in lawns and pastures.
Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Tolerates dry conditions once established; water only during prolonged drought.
Soil
Poor to average, well-drained soil; tolerant of lean, chalky or sandy ground.
Temperature
Hardy in temperate climates, tolerating frost; protect only very young plants in severe cold.
How easy
Easy
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Azores, Europe, Morocco
Climate
temperate
About
Leontodon saxatilis is a species of hawkbit known by the common names lesser hawkbit, rough hawkbit, and hairy hawkbit. It is native to Europe and North Africa but can be found in many other places across the globe as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. This is a dandelion-like herb growing patches of many erect, leafless stems from a basal rosette of leaves. The leaves are 2 to 15 centimeters long, 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide, entire or lobed, and green in color. Atop the stems are solitary flower heads which are ligulate, containing layered rings of ray florets with no disc florets. The florets are yellow with toothed tips. The fruit is a cylindrical achene with a pappus of scales. Fruits near the center of the flower head are rough, while those growing along the edges of the head are smooth.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Leontodon saxatilis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.