This is the first year I have been aware of the Hawkbit as a dominating flower on areas of grass - city and countryside alike in July and into August; taking over as the Buttercups faded.
I have always known about these flowers, but never before found-out their name - I just used to categorize them as "looking like a Dandelion - but not". Even as a kid I realized that, while the Dandelion had a hollow stem that leaked milky sap, this similar-looking flower had a solid stalk.
Another difference is that Hawkbits don't make a spherical seed-head like the Dandelion "clock"* - and that the Hawkbit is much more sensitive to the absence of direct sunlight - with the head closing-up at night or in gloom (as does the Daisy).
Anyway, I have gained considerable pleasure from the Hawkbit this year; often it has been the only splash of colour on the grassy areas of the city.
Not quite as glorious as the shining and reflective masses of Buttercups (perhaps my favourite wild flower), but very welcome all the same.
Hawkbit - Remember the name!
* This turns-out to be completely wrong - Hawkbits do produce a "dandelion clock".
4 comments:
These have become increasingly prevalent where I live. I find them rather lovely. I've always noticed them around here, but there are notably many more of them this year. Must be climate-change induced. In the very near future, I'm sure I will be forced to proofread a paper that identifies it as a harbinger of climate doom or something to that effect.
@Frank - Just today we were walking in a lovely old cemetery, and there was a great display of hawkbits in the lawn areas. Without them there would have been just brownish summer grass.
Over here in Belgium, it is somewhat the same thing. Less dandelions and buttercups (there are a few around) and a lot of hawkbits. Insects are down in number (and diversity) too. Very few bees and butterflies. Yet, a few "new" ones that I had never seen before: the "Spanish flag" (also named Jersey tiger moth) and the "white admiral" (in Dutch its name is "small kingfisherbutterfly"). Bees are being "exterminated" by diseases, pollution but in the first place by Asian hornets (how they came from South-East Asia, I don't know; probably on a ship?).
@wk - Glad to say we don't seem to have all those problems, although I've heard bees are down in numbers - but the reasons given don't seem to make sense.
Of course there is year by year variation. We were all but plagued by bumblebees last year - whereas a small fraction are seen this year.
Weatherwise, we've had the most humid, although not quite the hottest/ dryest, summer that I can remember - maybe Hawkbits like humidity?
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