Cat's Ear

Cat's ear, also called flatweed, is a low-growing perennial broadleaf weed that forms a flat rosette of leaves hard against the ground. The leaves are lance-shaped, lobed or toothed along the edges, covered in coarse hairs, and dull green in colour. From the centre of the rosette, one or more branched, wiry flower stems rise 15–50cm high, each ending in a bright yellow, daisy-like flower roughly 2–3cm across. Unlike a true dandelion, the flower stems are branched and slightly hairy rather than smooth and hollow. Below ground it has a thick, tapering taproot that allows it to survive mowing and dry spells and regrow readily if the root is not removed.

It is a very common weed of Australian lawns, pastures and roadsides, found in every state, and is especially persistent in home lawns because it sits below the mower blade height and is rarely cut off.

Cat's ear seeds year-round in mild climates but flowers most heavily from spring through to autumn. Seeds are wind-dispersed on a fluffy parachute similar to a dandelion's, allowing it to spread quickly across a property and into neighbouring lawns.

It establishes readily in thin, open or stressed turf, particularly lawns that are mown too short, poorly fertilised, or compacted. Management relies on improving turf density and vigour through correct mowing height, regular fertilising and overseeding bare patches so grass can outcompete new seedlings. Established plants are difficult to remove by hand because the taproot regenerates from any left in the soil; digging out the full root or targeted spot treatment is generally needed for isolated plants, while broader infestations in lawns are usually managed with a selective broadleaf control program suited to the turf type.