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Pilosella aurantiaca

fox and cubs

RHS Plant Shop from £6.99 Sold by 23 nurseries

  • Other common names fox and cubs
    devil's paintbrush

    Flora's paintbrush
    golden mouse ear
    Grim-the-collier
    missionary weed
    orange-flowered hawkweed
    red daisy

    see more

  • Synonyms Hieracium aurantiacum

  • Family Asteraceae

  • Details Pilosella are hairy herbaceous perennials spreading by rhizomes or stolons, with leaves in basal rosettes, and sometimes as smaller stem leaves, and stems topped with flowerheads like small dandelions, in shades usually of yellow, sometimes orange, rarely red or white, and windblown seed with a pappus of white or pale brown hairs Pilosella aurantiaca is a hairy herbaceous perennial spreading by stolons to form clumps of basal rosettes of elliptical green leaves, and stems up to 20cm high topped by clusters of flowerheads, 1.5cm across, which in bud first reveal the deep russet-red undersides of the petals, then open out into rich orange florets, shading to golden orange towards the centre, in summer; it is widely naturalised in Britain, and is visited by bees for nectar and pollen

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Clump-forming

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H5

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect West-facing or East-facing or South-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureWell-drained

  • SoilChalk, Loam, Sand

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.1-0.5 metres

  • Ultimate spread 0.5-1 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 1-2 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in poor to moderately fertile, well-drained or even dry soil, in full sun or partial shade

Propagation Propagate by seed, sown directly into position, or in containers outdoors, or by division in autumn or spring; it can also self-seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types Flower borders and beds Low Maintenance Wall-side Borders Drought Resistant City & Courtyard Gardens Prairie Planting Coastal Cottage & Informal Garden Gravel Garden

How to care

Pruning No pruning required

Pests Generally pest-free

Diseases Generally disease-free

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RHS Plants Shop

Pilosella aurantiaca

fox and cubs

Buy from £6.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £6.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

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