White Hawkweed: The 126th Flower of Spring & Summer!

(Please scroll down for 3 more pictures!)

Another delightful surprise for me! I found this lovely flower growing up along our ridgeline, but it's not the first time I've seen this one before. Last year, Steve and I went on a hike with a group here in southern Oregon and I noticed it along the trail. I remember at the time having a hard time getting focus because of the light, and in the end, I wasn't really happy with my picture. So when I found it here on our property, I was thrilled at the chance to do a better job! I took a bunch of pictures and picked my favorite four to share.

There are more than 10,000 recorded species of Hawkweed flowers, but thisis the only white one! Many species of Hawkweed has been introduced to the United States and are considered invasive weeds, but this tiny, delicate flower is native tto the Pacific Northwest and can be found from Alaska and British Columbia to Mexico and east to Colorado. The name Hawkweed comes from folklore that said hawks ate these flowers to improve their eyesight. This flower is a favorite food for many insects including moths and butterflies.

If you would like to know more about this flower, I found a nice page here: Native Plant Society: White Hawkweed

Wiki has three sources:
Wiki: White Hawkweed: (Hieracium albiflorum)
Wiki: Hieracium
Wiki: Hawkweed