Leontodon hispidus - Rough Hawkbit

Family:	Compositae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.45
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, the Caucasus and Iran.

Leontodon hispidus (Rough Hawkbit) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.45m . It has a hardness rating of 6.
Rough Hawkbit will flower in December to March. the seeds ripen from January to March
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera, self

Soil Information

Rough Hawkbit will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Rough Hawkbit prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Rough Hawkbit should not be planted in shady areas.

Meadows, roadside verges etc, usually on calcareous soils and avoiding shade12, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

An easily grown and tolerant plant[K], it prefers a sunny position in a well-drained soil[200] and does well on clay. A good bee and butterfly plant[108, 200], it grows well in the spring meadow[24].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves - raw or cooked[12, 100]. Neither the taste nor the texture are by any means wonderful, but the leaves are acceptable raw, particularly since they can be available in the late winter. The roasted root is a coffee substitute[46, 61, 183].

• Coffee - the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The herb is diuretic[4]. An infusion is used in the treatment of kidney complaints and as a remedy for dropsy and jaundice[4].

• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in situ, only just covering the seed. Very fast germination. The seed can also be sown in the spring. If you are short of seed it can be sown in a pot in the cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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