Hieracium albiflorum
White hawkweed, White Hawkweed
(c) Todd Boland, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Todd Boland · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Hieracium albiflorum (White hawkweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by white flowers.
White hawkweed is a California native perennial found in the California Floristic Province and Warner Mountains in forest habitats at elevations up to 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white ligulate flowers in heads of 15 to 30 blooms, typically clustered in large groups of 12 to 50 flower heads. Growing with stems 20 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops densely long-hairy stems particularly near the base. Its leaves are mostly basal, 8 to 15 centimeters long, oblong to oblanceolate in shape, with entire or few-toothed edges and coarse long hairs covering the surface. The plant bears fruits 2 to 4 millimeters long with a dull white or tan pappus.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; white flowers are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Forest
Elevation: < 3300 m
Outside California: to Alaska, Alberta, South Dakota, Colorado
Bloom period
Hieracium albiflorum blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Pilosella: Pilosella has stolons (runners) spreading along the ground; Hieracium lacks these horizontal stems.; vs Daucus: Daucus has umbel flower clusters and carrot-scented foliage; Hieracium has dandelion-like heads and lacks carrot scent.; vs Adelinia: Adelinia has beaked seeds; Hieracium seeds attach directly to pappus without any beak.; vs Heterotheca: Heterotheca has ray and disk flowers (daisy-like); Hieracium has only strap-shaped flowers.; vs Rafinesquia: Rafinesquia has smooth or sparsely hairy stems; Hieracium is densely long-hairy especially below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hieracium albiflorum native to California?
Yes. Hieracium albiflorum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hieracium albiflorum bloom?
Hieracium albiflorum blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Hieracium albiflorum belong to?
Hieracium albiflorum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Hieracium.
What habitat does Hieracium albiflorum grow in?
Hieracium albiflorum grows in Forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.