April 14, 2020

'Glaucous Hawkweed'


It all began with those dark-spotted leaves. Beautiful leaves.




The wine-red colour of the spots can be intense or more subdued, and those leaves are downy.








Like the young stalks.






Now sunflower-yellow flowers have appeared. Flowering of 'Glaucous Hawkweed' (Hieracium glaucinum, no English name) begins when new green leaves show on trees, before most other Hawkweeds begin to bloom. The ligulate flowers are dented, as if a small animal came to nibble them.




Often they grow in groups.





'Glaucous Hawkweed' brightens up forest fringes on limestone soil. Its flowering does not take long, when May arrives, it is already over.






Later in the season. Eaten by aphids, the plant still carries fluffy balls with seeds.