The sunshine today was rather deceiving with the temperature below zero and summer green grass and bright flowers are nowhere to be seen for months yet. Although the orange hawkweed is a very invasive plant that is native to Europe.

Invasive Orange Hawkweed

The Orange Hawkweeds might like all the rain since they are blooming where I haven’t been able to mow the lawn. But the plant isn’t supposed to be on my lawn as it is an evasive species and it is becoming a problem in many areas. And while the rain is helping it survived from mowing, the blossoms close up in shade so they aren’t helping the insects during all the cloudy days.

Invasive Orange

Another bright object in the fields and ditches now is another noxious weed commonly known as Orange Hawkweed.

Do hawks eat this plant to improve their vision? According to a folktale this is how this plant was named. In fact, hawkweed was brought to America from Europe by herb doctors to cure eye diseases.

But Hawkweed is also referred to as the “devil’s paintbrush” because it invades farmers fields and out-competes many native species.

Orange Hawkweed