Hawkweed

From a distance, hawkweed (Hieracium) strongly resembles dandelion, but on closer inspection, it differs in some features from its relatives, which also belong to the daisy family. Many representatives of this plant genus are widely distributed here, although relatively unknown. These include both the Small and the Orange Hawkweed, which were often used in the past as native medicinal herbs. Even Hildegard von Bingen liked to use the herb.

The herbaceous plants are quite undemanding and thrive even on fairly dry soils. Hawkweeds grow in meadows, forest clearings, along paths, but also in home gardens, where they can quickly form an extensive carpet of flowers and displace other plants.

 

Coumarins, flavonoids, mucilages, and tannins are important ingredients of hawkweed.

 

Today, hawkweed is often considered a weed in gardens. However, the plant can be wonderfully used culinarily. Fresh leaves, finely chopped, enhance salads, herb butter, spreads, and soups. The flowers of the Small Hawkweed taste slightly sweet and complement cream cheese, herb butter, and salads well – not least as an attractive decoration.

In earlier times, hawkweed was especially valued as a medicinal plant believed to grant the eyesight of a hawk. This effect is likely the origin of the herb’s name. Nowadays, this use has been abandoned.

In the Middle Ages, hawkweed was a component of various herbal mixtures prepared by the herbalist Hildegard von Bingen. She attributed a heart-strengthening effect to the herb and mixed it for various preparations with dittany and galangal.

Hawkweed is also said to help with digestive complaints, especially diarrhea. More reliably, it is used for inflammations in the mouth and throat. Hawkweed is considered astringent and anti-inflammatory. It is used internally as tea or extract for rinsing and gargling. Externally, it is said to help treat wounds. The Small Hawkweed is also known as a diuretic, meaning it has a urine-promoting effect.

 

Hawkweeds include countless subspecies, some of which are very difficult to distinguish from each other. They are perennial herbaceous plants that can develop into considerable shrubs. The plant forms quite strong taproots, and the hairy stem grows upright. The Small Hawkweed reaches heights of 10 to 30 centimeters, while the Orange Hawkweed, native mainly to European mountain regions, grows up to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are located at the base of the stem. Its flowers, reminiscent of dandelions, are yellow in the Small Hawkweed and, as the name suggests, yellow-orange to orange-red in the Orange Hawkweed.