A large hardy adaptable plant. Reseeds easily. It produces a rosette of leaves the first year; flower stalks grow to six feet or more in the second year. Hundreds of yellow flowers start blooming in June and can continue until late fall. The flowers open in late afternoon and fade the following morning. The roots are eaten both raw and cooked. The leaves are astringent and sedative. The seed oil is a source of gamma-linoleic acid which is used as a dietary supplement for MS patients.