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Goat's-Beard

Goat's-Beard

Tragopogon pratensis

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How common: Common

Alien species

Goat's-Beard (Tragopogon pratensis) is a biennial member of the daisy family with pale yellow flower heads. Native to Europe, it is often seen in open, grassy places such as verges and meadows. During its flowering period, the heads typically open in the morning and close by around midday.

Did you know?

  • Its habit of closing by midday inspired the nickname “Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon.”
  • Goat's-Beard is closely related to the cultivated salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius).

About the species

Identification

Biennial herb typically 50–70 cm tall with a thick taproot and many long, narrow, grass-like leaves; the stem leaves clasp the stem, are channeled, and taper to a point. Flower heads are solitary at the ends of branches, pale yellow, and about 3–5 cm across; they usually open in the forenoon and close around midday. Fruits are large achenes with a conspicuous pappus, forming fluffy, dandelion-like seed heads. The tall stems and narrow, clasping leaves help distinguish it from low-growing dandelions and similar yellow composites.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Thrives in open, sunny, well-drained sites, including meadows, grasslands, field margins, roadside verges, and other lightly disturbed ground.

Sources

Photo: Patrick Le Mao, CC0 1.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6234499670

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piennarpukinparta

See also