What lawn weed is this and how do I get rid of it?

[Missingcaffeine]

I've tried googling this, but can't seem to find it.
It's driving me nuts as the roots seem to travel underground to the next one.
I've tried digging it up and pulling the roots out, but it seems to come back.
I've tried weed killer and this seems to have made it spread to other parts of the lawn even quicker.
If anyone can identify the weed, that would be great, and any suggestions of how I might get rid of this would be really appreciated too!

Thanks! :)

[Igneococcus]

Is it a plantago? There are Plantago species with broad and with narrow leaves. Have you seen it flower?

[Missingcaffeine]

Thanks for your response Igneococcus - I don't think it's plantgo, though it looks similar to the narrow leaf variety, but the leaf is slightly furry on our weed. Yes, the flowers are tiny and orange at the top of a fairly long thin furry stalk.

[hikikomore]

Fox & cubs?
www.lawnsciencesouthmanchester.co.uk/blog/orange-hawkweed-pilosella-aurantiaca/?doing_wp_cron=1472407427.4918220043182373046875

The flowers are very pretty - if it is I'd keep it!

[Missingcaffeine]

Yes, hikokomore, that looks like it. Thank you! The flowers are quite pretty, usually small at first but do grow to a dandelion size, but it is growing all over our lawn and I hate it and even digging it out and leaving huge holes in the lawn doesn't seem to get rid of it, it is just coming back and spreading.

[Igneococcus]

Fox&Cups is that what these are called? I have seen loads of them around but never paid any attention to the leaves.
I have no idea how you get rid of them, it probably involves removing every bit of the roots.

[Ferguson]

I think you will just have to dig out each one, with an old kitchen knife, or screwdriver, or a Wolf Garten weeder, KS2K, £7.19.

[shovetheholly]

Does it have bright, bright orange flowers? If so then yes, it's Fox & Cubs, also known as the Devil's Paintbrush. If it has yellow flowers, it's another kind of asteraceae.

I had some of this in my garden. I made the mistake of thinking 'It's a weed, but hey it's really pretty' and leaving it. I then had a year of fighting on my hands to get rid of the 1,000,000 seedlings it had spread everywhere. However, the good news is that if you do attack them mercilessly and with utter conviction, you will win. I haven't had a single seedling come up this year. The key is to stop them flowering and seeding, and to get out as many of those roots as you can.

[Missingcaffeine]

These are the flowers....
I'm starting to think I either grow a meadow or re-turf!

[shovetheholly]

Yep, that looks like Fox and Cubs to me.

[Igneococcus]

I would grow a meadow.
I have some packs of native wild flower seeds from Kew gardens somewhere. If you do want to grow a meadow let me know missingcaffeine and I look for them. I won't use them anyway.