Solved Anyone know this wild flower/weed?

Hi all,
Anyone know this wild flower or weed that we get every year, there seems to be far more this year for some reason.
Cheers all.

 

It's Pilosella aurantiaca, aka Fox and Cubs. Spreads both by seed and underground runners. Can be a bit of a pain as it's difficult to stop it spreading.

 

Forgot to add that Orange Hawkweed is good in large wildlife areas, but not so much in the garden.

 

Yes we have it in the garden and as @BobTG says it spreads by seeds and runners. Where you would like to have it, it does add colour but if you need to remove it look underneath stones/slabs etc as the runners will have found a space to move into.

 

Pilosella aurantiaca
Fox and cubsPerennialFamily: Asteraceae
Some people love it, but it's an evil thug with pretty flowers in my garden. One of the few that I dig out without mercy.
Many will disagree.

 

Mmm I was planning to collect seed from some growing by our local canal. Having read this thread I might cross it off the list as I’ve enough thugs in the garden already

 

They spread their leaves out flat on the ground. A single leaf can be 4" long. Nothing at all can grow under the leaves which spread in a circle around the plant. Pretty flowers, though.

 

I bought some seed this year. I'm planning to pitch it against my docks, bindweed and creeping buttercup and see which one comes out on top.

 

So long as it stays where you want it. Keep an eye on your grass. That's where it does its worst.

 

Agree with others.... Pilosella aurantiaca...common name
Orange Hawk weed etc.
Pics below show flowers and the hairy leaves.

 

Not one of them will come out on top. All three will just gang up together against you.

 

I love it. It's not particularly problematic round here.
It's a common sight on verges, and edges of fields etc, but even in a few front gardens where it's in the grass, and the people aren't cutting it, it's happy enough with other plants -like buttercups.
Bindweed isn't a big invader either - mainly just see it beside the railway tracks, which is pretty common in many areas of the country. Docks are probably more noticeable as a nuisance plant.

Always depends on the site and conditions - as with loads of plants.

 

I agre with @fairygirl, conditions have a lot to do with it. At my old garden in France, shallow clay on limestone the bindweed came out on top. No docks, not enough room for taproots. Second were creeping buttercup and goosegrass. I sowed some fox and cubs once they came up one year then died.

I'm on holiday in the Lake District now and there are a lot of fox and cubs looking very pretty. Soil here is the opposite to my French soil, damp and acid here.

 

Only last night when we spotted our first Dragonfly emerging from our pond we also noticed our first Fox and cubs , by tomorrow it’ll pop up around the garden we like it even creeping buttercup .

 

I tried to get it established in my lawn as well and it's clung on but not spread or thrived. It's funny but the yellow variety has done much better for us but again it's not thuggish in anyway, although I know they both can be.