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Asteraceae
Fox-and-Cubs
Pilosella aurantiaca
Unexpected delight.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Pilosella
- Native to
- Central and Southern Europe
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- dry, poor, well-drained, rocky or sandy
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 3-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The common name 'fox-and-cubs' refers to the flowerhead groupings: a central large head (the fox) surrounded by smaller satellite buds (the cubs).
- It is one of the very few truly orange-flowered meadow plants in the temperate world, making it immediately eye-catching in grassland settings.
- Introduced as an ornamental to North America, Australia, and New Zealand, it has become highly invasive in pastures and meadows, forming dense colonies.
- The entire plant exudes milky latex from its stems, a defense mechanism common throughout the hawkweed group.
- Reproduction occurs primarily by stolons (runners) and apomixis — seeds set without pollination, making every seedling genetically identical to the parent.
Color meanings
0
vivacity
1
cheerfulness
2
surprise