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Common Cat’s-Ear

Cat’s-Ears

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Cat’s-Ears

  • Cat’s-Ears are a group of related plants in the genus Hypochaeris.

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  • These annual and perennial herbs generally bear flower heads with yellow ray florets.

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  • These plants resemble dandelions and are often called ‘false dandelions’.

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  • Estimates of the number of species in this genus range from 50 to around 100.

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  • Most species are native to South America, but some are found in Eurasia and North America.

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  • Cat’s Ear grows as a low-lying rosette of hairy, lobed leaves emerging from a central taproot. The taproot provides stability, and a store of nutrients for the plant.

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  • The leaves can reach up to 20 cm in length and 4 cm in width.

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  • The bright yellow flowers grow on tall leafless stalks, with 2 to 7 flowers on each stalk.

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  • Flowering begins in response to longer days, around April and lasts until around October, when the days begin to shorten.

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  • The flowers are responsive to sunlight, closing up at night and opening in the mornings. In warm, sunny conditions the flowers will stay open for 3 to 4 hours, while they may remain open for 6 to 7 hours in overcast conditions.

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  • When these flowers have matured, they form seeds attached to hairy white ‘parachutes’ which catch the wind and carry the seeds away from their parent plant.

Common Cat’s-Ear

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  • Cat’s-Ear is a short-lived plant which lives for up to two seasons. It may overwinter as leafy green rosettes, or die back to the roots in colder climates. When the warm temperatures return, it will flower again.

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  • All parts of the plant emit a milky sap when broken.

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  • Common Cat’s-Ear was introduced by Europeans in places like the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand. Cat’s-Ear seeds may have been accidentally transported alongside hay and straw, or deliberately taken for medicinal and food purposes. It is now found on every continent barring Antarctica.

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  • Common Cat’s-Ear is thought to be native to Morocco, where it preferred Mediterranean woodlands. It has since expanded its range of accepted habitat conditions with its expansion in geographical range.

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  • It has many names including cat’s-ear, flatweed, hairy cat’s-ear, and false dandelion.

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Common Cat’s-Ear Continued

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  • This plant is early successional, meaning that it is among the first vegetation to establish itself in cleared or disrupted habitats.

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  • Cat’s-Ear’s seeds are easily carried on the wind, allowing the plant to spread to exposed ground. Its deep taproot and ability to store nutrients makes it quite resilient to drought and exposure once it is established.

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  • Cat’s-Ear does not do well in crowded conditions, and its seeds are not viable for long in the seed bank. It does not persist in grasslands and meadows once greater plant cover establishes itself in an area.

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  • Cat’s-Ear provides nectar for pollinating insects such as hoverflies, honeybees, moths, and more.

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  • It is nutritious forage for sheep, cattle, and pigs, but may cause stringhalt in horses.

Ecosystem Interactions

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  • This plant is a common lawn weed, and good at colonizing newly exposed ground. Areas where the ground receives sunlight for most of the day are usually able to support cat’s-ear seedlings.

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  • It is more common in drier areas, as its deep taproot makes it drought resistant compared to its competition.

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  • It tolerates a wide range of soil types, textures, and pH. However it does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soil.

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  • It does not tolerate crowding and shading. To allow this species to persist in a grassland, it is necessary to maintain the area in an early successional stage with regular mowing or grazing.

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  • It is most often found in pastures, cultivation, lawns, fallow paddocks, disturbed areas, roadsides and waste places.

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How to Grow It

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  • I most admire Cat’s-Ear for its toughness, and ability to persist in exposed conditions. The contrast with its cheery little flowers is quite charming!

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  • Its branching yellow flowers on tall leafless stalks remind me of heads on necks, making the plant seem like a miniature vegetable hydra.

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  • Its hardiness makes it a reliable source of nectar that attracts many interesting pollinating insects.

My Favorite Things About It

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Information Links

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Image Links

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Further Reading