Senecio jacobaea
common ragwort
An upright biennial or short-lived perennial capable of reaching 1.5m tall, though often much less, with deeply lobed, dark green leaves, often overwintering as a low rosette, and large, flat-topped clusters of yellow, daisy-like flowers from mid-summer to mid-autumn
Other common names
benweedbinweed
see moreboliaum
cankerweed
common ragweed
fairy's horse
fellon weed
felon weed
keddledock
kettledock
ragweed
ragwort
Saracen's compass
St James' weed
St James' wort
staggerwort
starwort
stinking Willy
tansy ragwort
yellow tops
fireweed [3]
Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Yellow | Green | ||
| Autumn | Yellow | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native to the UK
- Yes
- Habit
- Clump forming, Columnar upright
- Potentially harmful
- Poisonous to horses and cattle
- Genus
Senecio can be annuals, biennials, perennials, climbers or shrubs, some succulent, with simple or pinnately divided leaves and daisy-like flowers, occasionally without ray-florets
- Name status
Correct
How to grow
Cultivation
Grows naturally in grassland and waste ground, on roadsides and sand dunes. A problem weed in pasture as it is poisonous to horses and cattle, but otherwise a good plant for wildlife. See Ragwort
Propagation
Spreads readily by seed, also by offsets and root fragments
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Wildlife gardens
- Wildflower meadow
Pruning
Cut down spent flowers to prevent self-seeding
Pests
May be susceptible to cinnabar moth caterpillars
Diseases
Generally disease free
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