Fox-and-cubs
Fox-and-cubs in grassland
Close-up of flowers
Black hairs on buds and stem
Basal rosette of leaves
Pilosella aurantiaca
Asteraceae
June to September
It is found throughout the country except for parts of eastern
areas and the South.
See the BSBI distribution map for Fox-and-cubs
It is a neophyte which was introduced into UK gardens in the
1620s and noted in the wild as an escape in the 1790s.
It has beome naturalised in grassland, wasteland and alongside
roads and railways. I have seen it as a weed in several lawns
as far apart as Lancashire and Dorset.
Fox-and-cubs is a colourful, perennial herb, which spreads by
seed and long stoloniferous runners, and reaches up to 40cm.
The orange-red-yellow flowers are up to 2cm across.
The flower buds and stems are covered in dense black hairs.
The leaves are lanceolate and in a rosette at the base of
the stem.
This flower makes me smile. You find it in the most unlikely places
and the orange stands out against a sea of green.
Previous page: Fool's-water-cress
Next page: Fragrant Agrimony
Fox-and-cubs in grassland
Close-up of flowers
Black hairs on buds and stem
Basal rosette of leaves
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