Golden Hooks

[Ray]

At a local market today I was asked if I knew this plant,the short answer no.
After more talk he told me it grows in th UK,has yellow flowers like a hook and flowers all the year round,so anybody any ideas on what this plant may be.
Thanks bye Ray

[Lesley Cox]

A picture of it could be helpful Ray.

[Ray]

Hi Lesley,thanks for the reply,no I don't have a picture all he had was a name on a piece of paper,and he asking on behalf of somebody else.I told him I would ask on this forum,
if it flowers all the year round in the UK everybody would have one .Not the case,it appears no one over there has a clue either.I won't see him for another month so this is all the info I have at this time.bye Ray

[tonyg]

If it grows in the UK and flowers all the year round it must be a weed
Or a native plant.  They say when gorse (Ulex spp) is in flower it is the kissing season ... so all the year round ... and it has yellow flowers which might be said to have a hook in the lower part of the flower.

[PDJ]

The name Golden Hooks is one used for the dandelion.

[Maggi Young]

The name Golden Hooks is one used for the dandelion.

 Fancy that.... I have never heard that used....but the flowers can have little tendrils which I suppose could be "hooks"  

[Maren]

Like this?

[Maggi Young]

Great photo Maren, yes, those styles could be called golden hooks, couldn't they?

[Lesley Cox]

I was thinking, very much tongue in cheek, that if it flowers all year round in the UK it must be a dandelion, never actually thinking it MUST be a dandelion. Would even the least experienced gardener not know one?

[tonyg]

If it grows in the UK and flowers all the year round it must be a weed
Or a native plant.  They say ...

Well - I got that bit right

[mark smyth]

Dandelions are only just coming in to growth and don't flower all year.

[Maren]

Too true, Mark, I would go so far as to say that there is nothing that flowers in this country all year, not even daisies.