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Annual Biennial

Tolpis barbata

devil's bit

A hardy annual to around 50cm in height, with lance-shaped, toothed green foliage. Pale lemon yellow daisy-like flowers with serrated petal edges, darker yellow towards the centres and with a maroon-red eye, appear from late May through to July

Other common names

yellow hawkweed
bearded crepis
see morepurple-eyed succory-hawkweed

Synonyms

Crepis barbata

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

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)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Tufted
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained sandy to gritty soil in full sun to part shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown directly outside in spring in sandy or gritty soil in full sun to part shade, or under glass in the autumn. Will self-seed profusely so may have the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well, but seedlings are easy to remove where they are not wanted

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Rock garden
Bedding
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering period

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails, aphids and mealybugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews

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