No, it is a related member of the Asteraceae family but has distinct branching stems and smaller flowers.

Hand pull before it sets seed to prevent it from spreading in your garden.

Plant guide

Smooth hawksbeard.

Crepis capillaris

Pronounced KREE-pis kap-il-AIR-is

Also known as Hawksbeard

Smooth hawksbeard — Photo by W Rao (CC BY) via iNaturalist

This cheerful little plant is a common sight in fields and along roadsides. It produces bright yellow, dandelion like flowers that bloom throughout the warmer months. It is often considered a weed, but it adds a nice touch of color to wilder garden spaces.

Another photo of Smooth hawksbeard — Photo by markandrews1 (CC BY) via gbif

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual or biennial herb
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 5 to 10 days
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 5 to 9
Bloom time: Late spring to early autumn

Care

This plant thrives in sunny spots with well draining soil. Keep an eye out for aphids on the flower buds. It is a prolific self seeder, so pull it before it goes to seed if you want to control its spread.

Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: This plant generally does not require supplemental fertilizer.
Pruning: Deadhead spent flowers to prevent unwanted spreading.
Repotting: This plant is typically grown in the ground and does not require repotting.
Soil: Well draining sandy or loamy soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic
Temperature: -10 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Lifespan: Annual or biennial, typically 1 to 2 years.
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Safety

People: There are no significant reports of toxicity, but it is not intended for human consumption.
Children: Keep away from small children as the plant is not edible and may cause minor digestive upset if ingested.
Contact allergens: The sap may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: The pollen can trigger mild seasonal allergies in some people.
Edibility: While not highly toxic, it is not considered a culinary herb and should be avoided.

How to identify it

Yellow dandelion like flower heads
Basal rosette of lobed leaves
Slender branching stems
Small seeds with white pappus

Height: 0.1 to 0.6m
Spread: 0.1 to 0.3m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: yellow, 1 to 2cm
Fruit: brown, Summer to autumn

Problems to watch for

Aphids · Small insects that cluster on stems and flower buds.
Powdery Mildew · A white fungal growth on leaves during humid weather.

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, autumn
Overwintering: It usually survives winter as a low rosette of leaves in milder climates. In colder areas, it relies on seeds to germinate the following spring.
In containers: It is not typically grown in containers as it is a prolific self-seeder.

Seed Sowing

1. Collect mature seeds in late summer.
2. Scatter seeds directly onto prepared soil in autumn or spring.
3. Lightly rake the soil to cover seeds.
4. Keep the area moist until germination occurs.

Group with other annual wildflowers to create a low maintenance meadow patch.

Grows well with

Common Poppy · They share similar habitat requirements and thrive in open, sunny meadows.
Cornflower · These plants complement each other in a naturalistic wildflower planting.

Similar species

Dandelion · Both have yellow flowers and a basal rosette, but the dandelion has a single larger flower head on a hollow, leafless, unbranched stalk, while smooth hawksbeard has branched, leafy stems with many small heads.

Science

Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Crepis
Order: Asterales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe and parts of Western Asia.
Conservation: It is considered a widespread weed in many regions and is not of conservation concern.

It is a pioneer species that quickly colonizes disturbed ground and waste areas.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: wildflower meadows, pollinator gardens

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 7/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 4/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is this a dandelion?: No, it is a related member of the Asteraceae family but has distinct branching stems and smaller flowers.
How do I control it?: Hand pull before it sets seed to prevent it from spreading in your garden.

Where the name comes from

The name Crepis comes from the Greek word for a boot or slipper, referring to the shape of the seeds, while capillaris refers to the hair-like pappus.

Good to know

It is often called smooth hawksbeard.
The seeds are equipped with a feathery pappus for wind dispersal.
It thrives in disturbed soil and open fields.

Keep your smooth hawksbeard growing

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This guide was generated with AI on October 19, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.