Herb: Rough Hawkbit


Latin name: Leontodon hispidus


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Rough Hawkbit:

The herb is diuretic. An infusion is used in the treatment of kidney complaints and as a remedy for dropsy and jaundice.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
June to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Meadows, roadside verges etc, usually on calcareous soils and avoiding shade.

Edible parts of Rough Hawkbit:

Young leaves - raw or cooked. Neither the taste nor the texture are by any means wonderful, but the leaves are acceptable raw, particularly since they can be available in the late winter. The roasted root is a coffee substitute.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in situ, only just covering the seed. Very fast germination. The seed can also be sown in the spring. If you are short of seed it can be sown in a pot in the cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Cultivation of Rough Hawkbit:

Meadows, roadside verges etc, usually on calcareous soils and avoiding shade.

Known hazards of Leontodon hispidus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.