Mouse-eared Hawkweed
Pilosella officinarum
Also listed as Hieracium pilosella
Also known as Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Mouse-ear
Climate Match for your location
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A low-growing perennial with hairy, mouse-ear-shaped leaves forming dense rosettes, topped with cheerful yellow flowers on slender stalks. It thrives in poor, dry soils and is often considered invasive in favorable conditions.
Why grow it
Mouse-eared hawkweed tolerates extremely poor and dry soils where many perennials struggle, making it useful for stabilizing marginal ground or rocky slopes with minimal inputs. Compared to other low-growing perennials suited to lean soils, it establishes quickly from seed and requires no fertilizer or supplemental water once established. Its persistent rosette growth and early yellow flowers provide season-long visual interest in sparse settings.
Watch out for
In moist or fertile soils, this species can spread more vigorously than intended and may outcompete nearby plantings, requiring periodic thinning. Where moisture is abundant or organic matter high, it tends toward lankier growth and may need cutting back to maintain dense form.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Europe and western Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A low-growing perennial with hairy, mouse-ear-shaped leaves forming dense rosettes, topped with cheerful yellow flowers on slender stalks. It thrives in poor, dry soils and is often considered invasive in favorable conditions.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Mouse-eared Hawkweed grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Mouse-eared hawkweed tolerates extremely poor and dry soils where many perennials struggle, making it useful for stabilizing marginal ground or rocky slopes with minimal inputs. Compared to other low-growing perennials suited to lean soils, it establishes quickly from seed and requires no fertilizer or supplemental water once established. Its persistent rosette growth and early yellow flowers provide season-long visual interest in sparse settings.
Watch out for
In moist or fertile soils, this species can spread more vigorously than intended and may outcompete nearby plantings, requiring periodic thinning. Where moisture is abundant or organic matter high, it tends toward lankier growth and may need cutting back to maintain dense form.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Europe and western Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar ground covers you might consider:
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