This time of year the yard is absolutely full to bursting with hairy catsear, plus a few of the other species shown here. I’ve had friends comment on the “dandelions” in the yard, which of course is the perfect invitation for me to tell them more than they ever wanted to know about the dandelion tribe, Cichorieae. While the catsear has pretty much spread everywhere here, it at least gives the adult pollinators something to eat; the black-tailed bumblebees and ctenucha moths especially love it. So while we may try replacing it with something native later on, for now it’s not the most pernicious of invasives. 

Also, my worst nightmare finally happened: the edge tore when I was removing this piece from the sketchbook. You can see it at the top in the title. *sigh* It’s not a huge tear, but it means I’ll have to be extra careful going forward. 

Finally, the flowers themselves are available as a sticker and other merch at my Redbubble shop! It’s a nice, summery design. 

Species portrayed: common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), hairy catsear (Hypochaeris radicata), smooth hawksbeard (Crepis capillaris), prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper)