Scientific Name

Hieracium praealtum Vill. ex Gochn.

Synonyms

Hieracium praealtum Vill. ex Gochn. subsp. bauhinii (Besser) Petunn.

Family

Asteraceae (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Compositae (South Australia)

Common Names

hawkweed, king devil, king devil hawkweed, kingdevil, kingdevil hawkweed, queen devil hawkweed, queendevil hawkweed, tall hawkweed, tall king devil, tall kingdevil hawkweed, yellow hawkweed

Origin

Native to central Europe.

Naturalised Distribution

This species has only been recorded as naturalised near Falls Creek, in north-eastern Victoria.

Also naturalised overseas in New Zealand and North America (i.e. north-eastern USA and Canada).

Notes

King devil hawkweed (Hieracium praealtum) is regarded as a potential environmental weed in south-eastern Australia. This species was first recorded as naturalised in the Alpine National Park, in Victoria, in 2004 and is the target of an eradication campaign. Like other hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.), this species is a potentially serious weed of the alpine areas and tablelands of south-eastern Australia. It spreads via creeping aboveground stems (i.e. stolons) and develops colonies that can out-compete and gradually replace ground vegetation.

King devil hawkweed (Hieracium praealtum) is a significant weed of tall tussock grasslands in New Zealand. Recent research in these ecosystems has shown a reduction in the diversity of indigenous species in areas where king devil hawkweed (Hieracium praealtum) has invaded. A distinct trend has also been found between an increase in the infestation of this species and an increase in the degradation of grassland communities.

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