Distribution of this weed has likely been assisted by flower enthusiasts due to its beauty. Orange hawkweed spreads by seed, stolons, and rhizomes and generally inhabits moist grasslands. Leaves are hairy, spatula shaped, up to 5 inches long, and almost exclusively basal. Extensive stolons create a dense mat of hawkweed plants that practically eliminates other vegetation.
Stems are usually leafless, although occasionally a small leaf appears near the midpoint.
Stems may reach a height of 1 foot and bear up to thirty inch flower heads near the top. Flowers are red to orange and appear in late May or June. Stems and leaves exude a milky latex when cut or broken. Seeds are tiny and plumed. When selective herbicides are applied in the spring and followed with nitrogen fertilizer, grass competition can keep this weed suppressed.