Flower profile

Oriental false hawksbeard

Youngia japonica

Oriental false hawksbeard (Youngia japonica) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly January–May across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Oriental false hawksbeard is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in January–May.

17states where USDA records it

7Bloomipedia state lists include it

15,213U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina

Quick look

Youngia japonica, commonly called Oriental false hawksbeard, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Native to eastern Asia, it is now found as a weed nearly worldwide.
From Wikipedia's article Youngia japonica, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–March. ^iNaturalist
In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–November. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,951 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #67 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,152 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #22 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,022 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #93 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,304 records)

Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	Introduced	January–March	3,951
Louisiana	Introduced	January–November	1,152
Georgia	Introduced	March–April	1,022
Alabama	Introduced	February–November	795
Hawaii	Introduced	few records (25)	746
South Carolina	Introduced	few records (39)	540
Mississippi	Introduced	January–March	344

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Alabama.
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. ^{HAR 13-107}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The young leaves can be eaten cooked or raw.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records oriental false hawksbeard in 17 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Taylor, Volusia, Walton.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Bienville, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, West Feliciana, Winn.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Chatham, Clarke, Glynn, Grady, McIntosh, Tift, Ware.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Crepis japonica.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 136 counties across 15 states; the most are in Louisiana (48), Florida (39), Virginia (13).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Florida flowers

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

Trailing daisy

Sphagneticola trilobata

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: June–November

Bristle thistle

Cirsium horridulum

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: March–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile YOJA.
iNaturalist, Youngia japonica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Youngia japonica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Youngia japonica (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Grace Merkert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.