While locally this is often known as Indian Paintbrush, the first flower to be called such is a native North American flower found out west. Others may refer to Orange Hawkweed as Devil’s Paintbrush, Grim-the-Collier, Missionary Weed, Orange Paintbrush, Red Daisy, or Tawny Hawkweed. Botanists can’t even agree on its proper name and you can find it listed as both Hieracium aurantiacum and Pilosella aurantiaca. It is a member of the Asteraceae family. It is invasive and does well in bad soil so you might see them taking over fields or along roadsides in Wisconsin. They spread seeds the way dandelions do but also reach out with rhizomes (below ground) and stolons (above) from which new plants can sprout.
Not native to Wisconsin or even North America
3 responses to “Orange Hawkweed (not Indian Paintbrush)”
Many mistakes are made by using common names for plants. The “Indian Paintbrush” is a beautiful reddish wildflower with the Latin name Castilleja, and should not be mistaken for the hawkweed….
Thanks for the tip! Fixed the listing. And it makes me think about the nature of naming things: If I am in Wisconsin and I say Show me Indian Paintbrush, I’ll be taken right to it. Hawkweed by any other name would still smell as invasive.
Why don’t the law make the wild Indian Paintbrush flower protected as a one of the 1st Native’s American wildflower of our USA ? unless there is already?….as dedication to all Native American history and their help to keeping our country safe and well fed and clothed and their part with war to keep us all safe!?
They are beautiful and they smell wonderful…could make a new perfume business how about cloth colors and decoration and bees, birds like them also and they make the fields look beautiful and easy to grow with other flowers also would make a beautiful flower for any occasion decor! their great for conservation also!