Fauna
Flower

Orange Hawkweed

Pilosella aurantiaca

Also known as Devil's Paintbrush, Fox and Cubs, Tawny Hawkweed, Grim the Collier

Orange hawkweed forms dense carpets across sunny meadows and disturbed ground using creeping runners and underground roots. Its striking fiery orange-red flower heads bloom in tight clusters atop leafless stems covered in dark, sticky hairs above basal rosettes of hairy leaves. Outside its native European alpine range, this aggressive perennial outcompetes native vegetation to create dense monocultures.

InvasiveWildflowerPerennial
Orange Hawkweed reference1 / 7
(c) Kieran Roy Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kieran Roy Powell · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil Nutrients
Predators
  • Livestock
  • Grazing Mammals
  • Herbivorous Insects
ThreatsHerbicide application, mechanical control, land development
HabitatsAlpine meadows, pastures, roadsides, disturbed soils
Life spanPerennial
Classification
  1. OrderAsterales
  2. FamilyAsteraceae
  3. GenusPilosella
  4. SpeciesPilosella aurantiaca
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Identification: Look for vibrant orange-red ray flowers and dark glandular hairs on the upper stem.
  • Containment: Avoid moving soil or mowing mature plants to prevent spreading windborne seeds.
Related species
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