When it comes to plant diversity, Hawkweed is a name you’ll hear a lot in gardening circles. There are actually about 1,000 different species spread across North America, Europe, and Northern Asia. In Germany alone, you can find around 180 native varieties.
Identifying Hawkweed Can Be a Real Puzzle
Because there are so many types out there, pinning down exactly which variety you’re looking at can be a bit of a challenge. It doesn’t help that these plants love to cross-breed, constantly creating new hybrids! To make things a little easier, botanists generally split them into two main subgenera: “True” Hawkweeds (*Hieracium subgen. Hieracium*) and “Mouse-ear” Hawkweeds (*Hieracium subgen. Pilosella*).
Common “True” Hawkweeds
In the “True” Hawkweed family, you’ll often run into these varieties:
- Common Hawkweed
- Shaggy Hawkweed
- Smooth Hawkweed
- Wall Hawkweed
- Alpine Hawkweed
Common “Mouse-ear” Hawkweeds
On the other side of the family tree, the Mouse-ear types include:
- Orange Hawkweed (a very popular one!)
- Florentine Hawkweed
- Meadow Hawkweed
- Little Mouse-ear Hawkweed
- Viper’s Bugloss Hawkweed
What Does It Look Like?
Biologically speaking, Hawkweed belongs to the Aster family (Asteraceae). Most of the time, you’ll see them sporting bright yellow blooms, but depending on the species, you might find orange, white, or even creamy-colored flowers. Their size varies wildly, too—some stay low to the ground at just 2 to 8 inches tall, while others can shoot up to nearly 5 feet! One thing they all have in common, though, is a deep taproot that anchors them firmly into the soil.
Managing Hawkweed in Your Garden
Those deep taproots are exactly why many gardeners find getting rid of Hawkweed to be such a headache. They are tough to pull out completely, and many species also send out runners (stolons) to spread underground. On top of that, they are champion self-seeders. If you want to keep them from taking over your yard, your best bet is to deadhead the flowers as soon as they start to fade to prevent those seeds from spreading.