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Golden Groundsel Packera aurea

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Senecio aureus
Phonetic Spelling
PAK-er-uh ARE-ee-uh
This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
See below
Description

Golden ragwort is a native perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family.  It is found growing in forests, swamps, ravines, or riparian areas in eastern North America to Texas as an herbaceous flowering plant.

Plant it in full sun to partial shade in average medium to wet soils.  It forms thick spreading mats and in the spring it sends up stalks of bright yellow flowers that attract many pollinators.  The blooms will even appear in the shade adding some much needed brightness to darker spots in the landscape. The flowers can look unkempt after they die so cut them down to the leafy base of the plant or leave the seeds for birds.

Allow it to naturalize in the landscape, use as a ground cover in shady wet areas, or along a border, in a bog, butterfly, or rain garden.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No serious problems. It can be somewhat weedy.

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Dark Shadow'
    Purple leaves, young leaves are greenish-crimson
'Dark Shadow'
Tags:
#rain garden#yellow flowers#native perennial#NC native#border planting#pollinator plant#native wildflower#naturalized area#border front#NC Native Pollinator Plant#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#Audubon#weed#boggy sites
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Dark Shadow'
    Purple leaves, young leaves are greenish-crimson
'Dark Shadow'
Tags:
#rain garden#yellow flowers#native perennial#NC native#border planting#pollinator plant#native wildflower#naturalized area#border front#NC Native Pollinator Plant#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#Audubon#weed#boggy sites
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Packera
    Species:
    aurea
    Family:
    Asteraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern Canada and U.S.A.
    Wildlife Value:
    Flowers attract pollinators and seeds attract birds.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Poisonous
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Drainage:
    Moist
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Achene
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Corymb
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Radial
    Flower Petals:
    7 - 20 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Yellow (rarely white or purple) head flowers 1" across in a flat topped corymb resembling a small sunflower; Flat-topped cluster of daisy-like flower heads; petals and disk flowers are yellow. Cut back after flowering or leave the seeds for the birds.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Cordate
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Lobed
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Stem leaves are alternate, often lobed or pinnately divided and toothed; heart-shaped basal leaves are bluntly toothed, slender-stalked and are 2 to 4 in. long; reddish purple below. Basal leaves remain on the plant in mild winter and lend to the ground cover appearance.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Several long, thin stems
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Riparian
    Landscape Theme:
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Pollinators
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Wet Soil
    Problems:
    Weedy
  • Poisonous to Humans:
    Poison Severity:
    Low
    Poison Symptoms:
    Liver toxicity; skin irritation following contact.
    Poison Toxic Principle:
    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
    Causes Contact Dermatitis:
    Yes
    Poison Part:
    Leaves