Hieracium murorum — wall hawkweed
![Leaves: Hieracium murorum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-murorum-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Flowers: Hieracium murorum. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2024 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-murorum-fl-mlovit-b.jpg)
![Plant form: Hieracium murorum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-murorum-ha-ahaines-e.jpg)
![Leaves: Hieracium murorum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-murorum-le-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Flowers: Hieracium murorum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-murorum-fl-ahaines-c.jpg)
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Facts
Wall hawkweed is a non-native plant hailing from Europe, and mostly found in northeastern North America. The reproductive stems have few or no leaves, separating this from most other species in the hawkweed genus (Hieracium).
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 50–110 mm
- Disk flower number
- 0
-
Flowers
- Bract cycle number
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with hairs having glands (a swelling at the tip of the hair)
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Disk flower color
- NA
- Disk flower lobe number
- NA
- Disk flower number
- 0
- Disk flower proportions
- NA
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Disk flower shape
- NA
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head profile
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
- Height of flower head base
- 8–9 mm
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 5–8
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have both carpels and stamens
- Ray flowers
- 26-50
- Reproductive system
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2.5–3 mm
- Seed hair tuft color
-
- the pappus hairs are tan to dark brown
- the pappus hairs are white or off-white
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs are hooked or barbed
- Seed hair tuft length
- 4–5 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- the pappus hairs are slender
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
- there are no stolons
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- the base of the leaf is cordate (heart-shaped) or sagittate (arrow-shaped)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade has hairs with glands at their tips
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 50–110 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 25–45 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
8. Hieracium murorum L. E
wall hawkweed. CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Fields, roadsides, lawns, yards.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Hieracium lachenalii:
- basal leaf blades tapering to the base and reproductive stems with 2–10 leaves (vs. H. murorum, with basal leaf blades truncate to cordate at the base and reproductive stems with 0–2).