FNPS Plant Database

Pyrrhopappus carolinianus

false dandelion, Carolina dessert chickory
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

false dandelion, Carolina dessert chickory

Synonym(s):

Borkhausia caroliniana

Genus species:

Pyrrhopappus carolinianus

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

2 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Winter dormant, blooms early spring

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Roadside plantings or meadow.

Considerations:

Is often considered a weed.

Availability:

Seed

Propagation:

Seeds. It will self-seed.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Attracts pollinators.

Native Habitats:

Disturbed areas

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Cherokee used to make infusion, taken to purify blood.

General Comments:

Basal rosette has weedy appearance.

Citations:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PYCA2
https://www.backyardnature.net/n/h/falsedan.htm

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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