By Ethan Proud | PREVIEW Columnist
Orange hawkweed is a member of the aster family and is an invasive plant on the Colorado Noxious Weed A List.
Plants grow between 1 and 2 feet high and spread by seeds and a creeping root system. The flowers are reddish orange and resemble chicory with its toothed petals. Orange hawkweed has basal leaves that are covered with bristly hairs and are dark green, occasionally there may a stem leaf or two. In ornamental plant mixes, orange hawkweed may also be called fox and cubs.
Orange hawkweed is not reported in Archuleta County, but it is present in Colorado along the northern Front Range and in Rio Grande County, east of Wolf Creek Pass.
A native look-a-like for orange hawkweed does grow in Archuleta County and has given me a few heart attacks over the years. The orange agoseris is a native species whose flower and growth habit is very similar to orange hawkweed. The main difference is that the agoseris grows as an individual, while the orange hawkweed is a mat-forming species.
If you believe you have seen orange hawkweed, please report it to the Archuleta County Weed and Pest Department.
Archuleta County Weed and Pest is your local resource for managing noxious weed populations and controlling other pests.
Preserving the harvest classes planned
Sept. 9 — Canning, drying, freezing.
Sept. 16 — Fermentation.
Each class is $25. Visit https://archuleta.extension.colostate.edu/ to register.
Seed saving class
Sept. 23 — Seed saving can be fun, profitable and can create community and pass down stories from generation to generation. The class will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Extension office. The cost is $10. Visit https://archuleta.extension.colostate.edu/ to register.
CPR and first aid classes
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered every other month by the CSU Extension office, generally on the second Monday and Wednesday of each month from 6 to 10 p.m. The cost for the classes is $80 for combined CPR/first aid and $55 for CPR, first aid or recertification. Call the Extension office at (970) 264-5931 to register.
