Packera aurea (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve

Golden Ragwort; Heartleaf Ragwort; Golden Groundsel

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Golden Ragwort is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to primarily the northern third of Alabama. Golden Ragwort occurs in hardwood floodplain forests, in low woods, and in wet pastures. It is a perennial with a short erect rhizome. It reproduces asexually from branched rhizomes or adventitious shoots, often forming large colonies. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are petiolate, reniform with cordate bases, glabrous, with crenate margins. Each clump of basal leaves produces 1-5 erect, glabrous, green or purplish flowering stems. The cauline leaves are reduced in size and number. They are short petiolate or sessile, oblong to lyrate in outline, with 2-4 pairs of lateral lobes. The leaves are glabrous. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in corymbs. Each head is subtended by 13-21 phyllaries that are green with black tips. There are 10-13 yellow ray flowers and 55-70 yellow disc flowers per head. The fruit is an achene. Golden Ragwort is available from some native plant nurseries. It prefers a wet to moist soil in full sun to partial shade. It blooms well in partial shade and can be naturalized under hardwoods in wet areas or along streams.--A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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