Our fallow fields have been thickly daubed with yellow for weeks, but not because of one plant. First it was mostly Dandelions, then Buttercups, and now millions of Yellow Hawkweed flowers (Hieracium caespitosum), such as these:
If you look closely at the fields now, you’ll see a small percentage of the Hawkweed consists of Orange Hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum):
There is a debate as to whether the Yellow and Orange species should be considered the same species that just comes in two colors.
There is no debate about both versions of these Hawkweeds being part of the sunflower genus and being closely related to members of the Dandelion/Chicory family. There also is no debate about them being invasive. That’s why many farmers called them red and yellow “Devils” – they spread quickly and are virtually impossible to kill.
By the way, their usual common name – Hawkweed –derives from folklore in which hawks ate parts of the plant to improve their eyesight. That’s nonsense, of course. But, in reality, many Native Americans kept a Hawkweed chaw in their mouths and chewed it like chewing tobacco during their daily activities. (Brooklin, Maine)