Easily mistaken for : Scarce Fiddleneck but that has yellow to orange flowers with hairy throats and is much scarcer than is Common Fiddleneck though that itself is pretty un-common despite its name.

Some similarities to : Bristly Oxtongue from afar because it has yellow flowers and bristly leaves and stems, but the flowers are of the flared-trumpet shape typical of Bugloss or Butterfly-Bush and not Dandelion type.

Can be mistaken for: Changing Forget-me-Not but that has flowers that are less yellow, and some of them at least will be changing to a blue colour.

Not to be confused semantically with : Ferns (sometimes called fiddlenecks).

It grows on bare or disturbed land, usually in sandy soils or sometimes as an arable weed. It is poisonous to livestock, containing both pyrrolizidine alkaloids and nitrates (high levels of which it accumulates). Some people also find that the sharp needles are an irritant to the skin.