Two look-alikes are blooming right now - the awful invasive Oriental False Hawksbeard, which wants to take over everyone's garden, and the lovely native Lyre-Leaf Sage.
Oriental False Hawksbeard first started showing up in Fairfax a few years ago and has quickly spread all over. The leaves look like dandelions. It's astonishing how fast it grows and goes to seed. You definitely want to try to nip it in the bud, so to speak, if it shows up near you. Luckily, it is usually easy to pull out of the ground. Be sure to put it in the trash: it takes a while to die after you uproot it and could go to seed in the meantime. Parts of invasive plants that could spread are the exception to the prohibition of yard waste in the trash. Our trash gets sent to the incinerator.
Lyre-leaf sedge also has basal leaves that resemble those of dandelions, but often they have some purple coloration, and the flowers themselves are blue. It is sometimes used as a natural groundcover.
These photos are of Oriental False Hawksbeard.
This photo is of the native Lyre-leaf Sage.
