Fassett’s Hawkweed: A Rare Native Worth Knowing About
Meet Hieracium ×fassettii var. fassettii, more commonly known as hawkweed – though this isn’t your garden-variety hawkweed! This particular species is something of a botanical unicorn, native to just a handful of states and shrouded in mystery when it comes to cultivation.
What Makes This Hawkweed Special?
First things first: that little × symbol in the scientific name tells us we’re dealing with a natural hybrid. This perennial forb (that’s botanist-speak for a non-woody flowering plant) belongs to the vast hawkweed family, but it’s carved out its own unique niche in the plant world.
As a native species, Fassett’s hawkweed has earned its citizenship papers in the lower 48 states, though it’s quite particular about where it calls home. This isn’t a plant you’ll find spreading far and wide – it’s more of a regional specialty.
Where You’ll Find It Growing Wild
Fassett’s hawkweed has a pretty exclusive address list. You can find it growing naturally in just four states: Illinois, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. That’s quite a scattered distribution, which adds to its air of mystery and rarity.
Should You Grow Fassett’s Hawkweed?
Here’s where things get tricky. While this native hawkweed sounds intriguing, it’s not exactly what you’d call garden center material. The reality is that very little is known about its specific growing requirements, and finding plants or seeds commercially is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
If you’re lucky enough to live in one of its native states and happen to encounter this plant in the wild, consider yourself fortunate to witness a botanical rarity. However, for practical gardening purposes, you might want to consider other native hawkweed species that are more readily available and better understood.
What We Know (And Don’t Know) About Growing It
The frustrating truth about Fassett’s hawkweed is that the growing information simply isn’t there. We know it’s a perennial forb that grows as a non-woody plant, but the specifics about:
- Preferred soil conditions
- Sun or shade requirements
- Water needs
- Hardiness zones
- Mature size
- Propagation methods
…remain largely mysterious. This lack of information makes it nearly impossible to provide reliable growing advice.
Native Alternatives to Consider
If you’re drawn to the idea of growing native hawkweeds, consider looking into other species that are better documented and more widely available. Your local native plant society or extension office can help you identify hawkweed species that are native to your specific area and come with actual growing instructions!
The world of native plants is full of wonderful discoveries, and while Fassett’s hawkweed remains an elusive treasure, there are plenty of other native forbs that can bring both beauty and ecological benefits to your garden – with the bonus of actually being growable!
The Bottom Line
Fassett’s hawkweed is one of those plants that’s more interesting from a botanical perspective than a gardening one. It’s a reminder that our native flora includes many rare and specialized species that exist quietly in their preferred habitats, contributing to biodiversity in ways we’re still learning about.
For now, this particular hawkweed is best appreciated in its natural settings and left to the botanists and plant researchers who are working to understand more about our native plant heritage.
