Flower Properties

Property	Value
English Name	Beaked Hawk's-beard
MainColor	Yellow
PlantType	Herb
Growth Type	Native
Season	May
ImageUrl	Crepis-001
Photographer	DP
Location	Abbots Langley
Human Toxicity	Non_Toxic

Flower Details

Description

Beaked Hawk’s-beard is a tall, branching wildflower with dandelion-like yellow flowers that appear on slender stalks. It’s often mistaken for a dandelion at first glance but is more upright and can grow quite tall. The flowers open during the day and close in the evening.

Distribution

Native to Europe and common across the UK, particularly in southern and coastal regions. It grows in disturbed soils, road verges, meadows, and urban green spaces. It’s a hardy and adaptable plant that flowers from late spring to autumn.

Medicinal/Other Uses

There is limited recorded medicinal use for Crepis vesicaria specifically, though some plants in the same family have been used traditionally as mild diuretics or bitter tonics. It’s more significant ecologically than medicinally.

Edibility

There is no strong tradition of using this plant as food, and it is not generally recommended for foraging due to limited data on its safety or nutritional value. Some related species have edible leaves, but Crepis vesicaria is best appreciated as a wildflower

Human Toxicity

Not known to be toxic, but not confirmed as safe for regular consumption either. Identification confusion with other less safe plants is a potential risk.

Pet Toxicity

Not Toxic

Active Compounds

Not extensively studied, but likely contains some common Asteraceae constituents such as flavonoids, bitter lactones, and latex-like sap.