Senecio clarkianus
Clark's ragwort
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Senecio clarkianus (Clark's ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by wet meadow habitat, large size, deeply lobed leaves, and long rays.
Clark's ragwort is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada and central Sierra Nevada in wet meadows and conifer forests at elevations of 1,200 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with disk flowers in heads 8 to 20 millimeters long arranged in flat-topped clusters. Growing with a single stem 50 to 100 centimeters tall that is sparsely hairy, it emerges from a fibrous-rooted caudex. Its leaves are primarily lanceolate to oblong, ranging from 9 to 16 centimeters long, with lower leaves deeply cut or pinnately lobed and tapering to a petiole. The distinctive flower heads feature 8 to 13 ray flowers and 35 to 45 disk flowers with dark green-tipped phyllaries.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; key features are wet meadow habitat, large size, deeply lobed leaves, and long rays
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, conifer forest
Elevation: 1200-2700 m
Bloom period
Senecio clarkianus blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Packera: Senecio has larger leaves (over 2.5 inches) and often black-tipped bracts; Packera has tiny leaves (under 1.5 inches) with green or reddish tips.; vs Sonchus: Senecio has yellow daisy flowers with a neat single row of bracts; Sonchus has dandelion-like flowers and milky sap when broken.; vs Dudleya: Senecio is in the sunflower family with daisy flowers; Dudleya is a succulent with thick fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers.; vs Ericameria: Senecio has one main row of equal bracts around flower heads; Ericameria has 2-4 overlapping rows of unequal bracts.; vs Taraxacum: Senecio has branching stems with multiple flower heads; Taraxacum has leafless hollow stems with single dandelion-like heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Senecio clarkianus native to California?
Yes. Senecio clarkianus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Senecio clarkianus bloom?
Senecio clarkianus blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Senecio clarkianus belong to?
Senecio clarkianus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Senecio.
What habitat does Senecio clarkianus grow in?
Senecio clarkianus grows in Wet meadows, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Senecio clevelandii var. clevelandii — Cleveland's ragwort
- Senecio clevelandii var. heterophyllus — Red Hills ragwort
- Senecio elegans — Red-purple ragwort
- Senecio flaccidus — Threadleaf ragwort
- Senecio flaccidus var. douglasii — Douglas' threadleaf ragwort
- Senecio flaccidus var. monoensis — Smooth threadleaf ragwort
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.