Crepis rubra - Hawk's beard seeds

Crepis rubra is a wild Mediterranean annual or biennial plant that brings a rustic touch to the garden. It flowers throughout spring with head-like inflorescences without a central disc, in a pretty pink that is more or less intense depending on the plant. Very adaptable, it grows in most soils, even stony ones, provided they are well-drained, moist to moderately dry. It can be sown directly in place in spring once the soil has warmed up, or under cover in early autumn to plant out the following spring and save a little time. It finds a place in rockeries and sunny borders.

Hawk's-beard is part of the vast family of Asteraceae, formerly known as Compositae, because the flowers are actually heads composed of fertile florets in the centre, surrounded by sterile florets on the periphery (and therefore generally mistaken for petals). With 23,500 species, this botanical family is home to ornamental plants, such as Yarrows, as well as vegetables (artichokes, lettuces...) and wild plants (thistles, dandelions...). The Crepis genus comprises around a hundred species. Crepis rubra itself is native to the eastern Mediterranean (southern Italy, Greece, the Balkan Peninsula, and Crete). It is found in a variety of habitats, such as seasonally moist meadows, clearings, fallow fields, roadsides, stony soils, etc. It is an annual plant, sometimes behaving as a biennial, and enjoys full sun.
Although a wild species, it fits well in the garden thanks to its bucolic charm. The foliage is reminiscent of dandelion or sow-thistle, with pinnatifid to toothed or lanceolate leaves, measuring 5 to 15cm long and 1 to 3cm wide. Growth begins with the formation of a rosette of leaves pressed to the ground, then subsequent leaves appear more upright. In spring, flowering stems form, reaching 30 or 40cm to bear a pretty inflorescence. This consists of an involucre, i.e. a set of green bracts forming a kind of collar at the base of the head. Heads are usually solitary (some stems may bear two), composed of numerous ligules, in a lovely soft to deeper pink. Unlike many other Asteraceae species, its head has no contrasting central disc. Flowering usually takes place from April to June, but may be delayed until August depending on when sown. In regions with a mild climate (this Hawk's-beard is hardy to about -10°C), it can be sown in late summer, which then brings forward the flowering time to the following spring. The pretty pink flowers attract pollinating insects and then develop into dark brown fruits, which allow the plant to self-seed spontaneously in light soils if the winter is not too cold.

Pink Hawk's-beard is one of those simple plants that fit perfectly into a slightly rustic garden. To enhance the natural look of a flower bed, it is a good idea to sow it randomly among the plants already in place, to give the impression that it has established itself there naturally. It will pair very well with ornamental grasses in a varied bed, at the foot of shrubs such as European Spindle, or in the background, a Juneberry. In a rockery, you can sow it near a patch of Soapworts, and you can also use it as a cut flower for your rustic bouquets.