Senecio sylvaticus
Woodland ragwort
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Senecio sylvaticus (Woodland ragwort) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by distinctive pinnately divided leaves.
Woodland ragwort is a naturalized annual herb found in coastal California regions including the North Coast, Klamath Ranges, Central Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in disturbed woodlands and open, sandy sites at elevations of 100 to 300 meters. Flowering from March to September, this plant produces yellow flower heads in flat-topped clusters approximately 12 to 24 millimeters wide with distinctive dark-tipped phyllaries. Growing 15 to 80 centimeters tall with a single stem densely covered in curly hairs, it has an upright, branching form. Its leaves are broadly obovate to oblong, typically 3 to 10 centimeters long, with 1 to 2 pinnate lobes and toothed margins, becoming smaller and more bract-like toward the stem tips. The fruit is small, 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long with sparsely hairy ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; distinctive pinnately divided leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed woodland, open, sandy sites
Elevation: 100-300 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern Canada, northeastern United States, Eurasia
Bloom period
Senecio sylvaticus blooms Mar-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 sylvaticus native to California?
No. Senecio sylvaticus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Senecio sylvaticus bloom?
Senecio sylvaticus blooms Mar-Sep.
What plant family does Senecio sylvaticus belong to?
Senecio sylvaticus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Senecio.
What habitat does Senecio sylvaticus grow in?
Senecio sylvaticus grows in Disturbed woodland, open, sandy sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Senecio triangularis — Arrowleaf ragwort
- Senecio vulgaris — Common groundsel
- Senecio angustifolius — Narrow-leaved south african ragwort
- Senecio aphanactis — Chaparral ragwort
- Senecio aronicoides — Rayless ragwort
- Senecio astephanus — San gabriel ragwort
- Sericocarpus oregonensis — Oregon whitetop aster
- Sericocarpus oregonensis subsp. californicus
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.