We’re all pretty familiar with Dandelions. You know, those yellow flowers that seem to pop up everywhere once spring comes. But growing all over the US, there are different types of weeds that look like Dandelions. So, how can you tell if what you have in your yard is a Dandelion look alike? Let’s go over some of the characteristics of these plants that look like Dandelions and where they tend to grow.
Most Common Weeds that Look Like Dandelions (The Short Answer)
There are many plants that look like Dandelions growing all over the United States. All of them produce yellow flowers that look like Dandelions, but on closer inspection, have differing characteristics. Mainly, many of these plants are found in specific regions of the country. Here are 5 examples of yellow flowering plants that look like Dandelions.
- Sow Thistle
- Coltsfoot
- Bristly Hawkbit
- Catsear
- Hawksbeard
A Closer Look at Lawn Weeds that Look Like Dandelions
No matter where you live in the United States, you’ve likely got a Dandelion look alike lurking in your yard somewhere. I have a couple in my lawn and flower beds, and I even found one trying to grow out of my driveway. So, let’s go over some of the most common yellow-flowering plants you might have in your yard and see which one you’re dealing with.
Sow Thistle – Sonchus
If you live in the southeastern states, then you’re probably familiar with Sow Thistle. It’s that yellow-flowered plant that rabbits love to eat and, up until now, you may have thought it was a Dandelion. I did until I took a closer look. Well, even though they are very similar, there are a few ways to tell this plant apart from the Dandelion.
What Sow Thistle Looks Like
Sow Thistle has yellow flowers that look like Dandelions. But the easiest way to tell them apart is that Dandelions have one flower on each stalk, while Sow Thistle can grow many flowers per stalk. Also, the leaves on Sow Thistle grow all the way up the stem while Dandelion leaves remain at the base.
One of my least favorite things about Sow Thistle weeds is that, like Dandelions, they drip milky latex sap when you cut into them. Trust me, it can get messy and can definitely ruin a pair of new pants.
What Sow Thistle Does
The wind is your enemy when it comes to Sow Thistle. On a windy day, the seeds can spread quickly and cover a large area of your property before you know it. Sow Thistle grows fast and absorbs nitrogen from the soil. This can be a death sentence for your grass and plants.
How to Get Rid of Sow Thistle
You can pull Sow Thistle out with your hands pretty easily. But like I said before, try not to rip it to avoid getting the sticky residue on your hands. I suggest wearing gloves. You want to make sure to get the whole root out, so it doesn’t regrow.
If you’ve got a lot of them in a large area, you can mow or weed whack them to cut back and weaken the plant. Also, be careful where you dispose of the plant. Previously I would just throw the Sow Thistles on my compost until I started to see the seeds germinate into new plants. Now I take them straight to the vegetation recycling bin so the city can take them away.
Yellow flowers around my compost looked kind of nice, but it was only a matter of time before they started to seed and spread into the yard again.
Coltsfoot – Tussilago farfara
If you’re in one of the eastern states above the Carolinas, then you’ve probably seen Coltsfoot growing along highways and maybe even in your backyard. From a distance, you might confuse it for a Dandelion. But there are a few characteristics that help set these two plants apart.
What Coltsfoot Looks Like
Coltsfoot is one of those weeds that look like Dandelions. It blooms yellow flowers in the early spring that can sometimes be seen popping through the snow. The flower itself is sort of cup-shaped, while the Dandelion flower is round.
You can also easily spot it’s a Coltsfoot because of the rounded leaves shaped like the foot of a colt. Now you see where the name comes from. These leaves pop up after the plant has flowered, whereas Dandelion flowers after the leaves have sprouted.
What Coltsfoot Does
Coltsfoot grows in patches low to the ground, forming a canopy over the grass. This is terrible for your lawn because it stops it from getting sunshine and water. It mainly spreads under the ground as its root system extends. So if it’s growing in your neighbor’s gravel path, it could find its way into your lawn in no time.
How to Get Rid of Coltsfoot
If you want to get rid of Coltsfoot, then you have to make sure you remove the entire root system. Any bit of root left underground can grow and produce more plants. You can use an herbicide with glyphosate to attack the plant. It’s a pretty tough plant to kill, so I suggest you start removing it as soon as you spot it before it gets out of hand.
Bristly Hawkbit – Leontodon hispidus
If the yellow plant growing in your lawn is attracting butterflies and bees, then it might be a Bristly Hawkbit. I’ve seen it growing in the late summer when visiting friends in New England.
What Bristly Hawkbit Looks Like
The Bristly Hawkbit is another Dandelion look alike. You’ll think it’s a Dandelion because it grows one yellow flower on each stem. Like the Dandelion, its leaves grow at the base in a rosette shape. But you can tell them apart because the Bristly Hawkbit has a hairy stem and thinner leaves.
What Bristly Hawkbit Does
Now, you want to get this plant under control fast. Like many of the plants that look like Dandelions, it will spread seeds all over your lawn. Before you know it, your grass will be fighting to stay alive as the Bristly Hawkbit takes over the lawn and sucks up all the nutrients.
How to Get Rid of Bristly Hawkbit
One of the best ways to get rid of Bristly Hawkbit in your lawn is to stop it from going to seed. If you have big patches of it, I suggest you mow it down before it flowers to weaken the plant and keep it under control and spray targeted broadleaf post-emergent herbicides. You can also try to pull it up by the root if you only have a few dotting the yard.
Covering it with mulch could be a good natural solution if you have it growing in your garden or vegetable bed. Just be careful where you dispose of your mower’s clippings, as they will be full of Bristly Hawkbit seeds.
Catsear – Hypochaeris radicata
This plant looks so much like a Dandelion that its actual nickname is False Dandelion. I have a buddy living in the Pacific Northwest who fights these plants on his property all the time. He has horses, and unfortunately, if they eat too much Catsear, they develop problems in their hind legs. But before you start worrying, how can you tell if what you’ve got growing in your yard is Catsear? Let’s take a look.
What Catsear Looks Like
One easy way to tell a Catsear apart from a Dandelion is that it grows several flowers on one stem, while Dandelions only have one. The leaves are also very different, with the Catsear having hairy, rounded edges versus the Dandelion’s smooth, jagged leaves. You’ll also find Catsear blooming in the summer, while Dandelions mostly pop up in the spring.
What Catsaear Does
As I mentioned with my buddy and his horses, Catsear seems to be poisonous to horses. But don’t panic. If you have these growing in your yard, they shouldn’t be harmful to you, your pets, or other animals. On the other hand, it will hurt your lawn by sucking up nutrients and moisture.
How to Get Rid of Catsear
If you only have a few of these plants around the yard, you can pull them out by hand or dig them out if they are too big. You need to make sure to remove its taproot so that it doesn’t just pop right back like a jack-in-the-box. If you need to get rid of a bunch of them, then a targeted herbicide 2,4-D and Dicamba should do the trick.
Hawksbeard – Crepis
If you live in Wisconsin, then you know this is a plant to watch out for as it is classified as an invasive species in your state. Hawksbeard mainly grows in the northern states as well as Alaska. But how can you tell it apart from other Dandelion look alikes? Let’s see.
What Hawksbeard Looks Like
You’ll have a tough time telling a Hawksbeard apart from a Dandelion before it flowers. The leaves are very similar in growth pattern and structure. Like Dandelion leaves, they are hairless and grow flat on the ground in a rosette shape.
Now, the plant branches out at the top and blooms several yellow flowers that look like Dandelions, with the key difference being that Dandelions only grow one flower per plant.
What Hawksbeard Does
The main issue I have with Hawksbeard, and any other Dandelion look alike, is that it just makes your lawn look bad. Seeing the long leaf clusters take over chunks of the lawn is frustrating at best. At worst, it will do what all weeds do, which is compete with your grass for nutrients and moisture and spread quickly across your property.
How to Get Rid of Hawksbeard
Like most Dandelion-like plants, you want to get the root system out of the ground. Also, make sure to throw it in a bag so that you don’t spread it around the yard or have it popping up around your compost bin. So you don’t get in a sticky situation, be aware that the plant will drip a milky sap if you cut it open. You can keep it under control with regular mowing and by spraying post-emergent targeted herbicides.
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