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Annual BiennialHerbaceous Perennial

Jacobaea vulgaris

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. Large, flat-topped clusters of yellow, daisy-like flowers appear from mid-summer to mid-autumn

Other common names

benweed
binweed
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

Synonyms

Senecio jacobaea

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Poisonous to horses and cattle
Genus: A genus of around 35 species of native, flowering biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, previously grouped as Senecio and more commonly known as Ragwort. Stems are upright, foliage pinnate and lobed and clusters of flowers bright yellow and daisy-like in appearance. Although primarily known as being toxic to horses and cattle, it is also a valuable food source for pollinators
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows naturally in grassland and waste ground, on roadsides and sand dunes. A problem weed in paddocks, and gardens bordering grazing land or land used to grow forage, as it is poisonous to horses and other livestock. Otherwise it is a good plant for wildlife, attracting a range of pollinators and providing the main food plant for cinnabar moth caterpillars. See ragwort for more information

Propagation

Spreads readily by seed, also by offsets and root fragments

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Wildflower meadow

Pruning

No pruning needed. Cutting back is not an effective control method

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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