Meadow Hawkweed

Pilosella caespitosa

Found in pastures, fields, roadsides, grassy balds. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: 1–3 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Pilosella caespitosa — fruit photograph — DouglasGoldman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: May to October

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 71 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Grassy mountain bald with shrub islands. Shown: Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, Swain County, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, July 2020, Andrea Walton / Great Smoky Mountains National Park, July 2020. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 39 animals.

Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Prairie Warbler
Dendroica discolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Purple Finch
Carpodacus purpureus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Icteria virens
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Hieracium

Cucullia floreaGray Hooded Owlet
Oxyptilus delawaricus

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Pilosella

Andrena krigiana

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Hieracium

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Yellow

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “1–3 feet” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Hieracium caespitosum; Hieracium pratense; hawkweed

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

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