Common Dandelion

What it looks like

Grows as a flat rosette of deeply notched leaves with no hairs, and sends up one yellow flower on a hollow, unbranched stalk. It's often confused with cat's ear (hairy leaves, branched stalk) and Carolina false dandelion (hairless leaves but a branched stalk).

Often mistaken for: Cat's ear or Carolina false dandelion

When it shows up in the Triangle

Flowers in spring (March through May) and again in fall here in the Triangle.

Where you’ll see it

Shows up in home lawns that are thin or weak, especially where turf has room to open up.

What you can do

• Keep your lawn thick and healthy — that's the best long-term defense
• Mow at the right height and don't scalp the lawn
• Water and fertilize properly to encourage dense turf
• Hand-pull young plants, trying to get as much of the taproot as possible
• Overseed thin or bare spots so dandelions have less room to move in