Senecio vulgaris
Common groundsel
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Senecio vulgaris (Common groundsel) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by distinctive lack of ray flowers (discoid heads).
Common groundsel is a naturalized annual found in California's Central West and Great Basin regions in disturbed areas at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces small yellow disk flowers in loose clusters with distinctive black-tipped green phyllaries. Growing 10 to 60 centimeters tall from a taproot with multiple slender stems, it develops erect and initially glabrous or sparsely hairy stems. Its leaves vary from ovate to oblanceolate, ranging 2 to 10 centimeters long, with lobed or toothed edges that have fine serrations along the margins. Each plant can produce up to 20 small discoid flower heads with 55 to 65 tiny disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species; distinctive lack of ray flowers (discoid heads)
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1300 m
Outside California: North America, Europe, Asia
Bloom period
Senecio vulgaris blooms Feb-Jul.
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 vulgaris native to California?
No. Senecio vulgaris is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Senecio vulgaris bloom?
Senecio vulgaris blooms Feb-Jul.
What plant family does Senecio vulgaris belong to?
Senecio vulgaris is in the Asteraceae family, genus Senecio.
What habitat does Senecio vulgaris grow in?
Senecio vulgaris grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Senecio angustifolius — Narrow-leaved south african ragwort
- Senecio aphanactis — Chaparral ragwort
- Senecio aronicoides — Rayless ragwort
- Senecio astephanus — San gabriel ragwort
- Senecio blochmaniae — Blochman's ragwort
- Senecio californicus — California ragwort
- Sericocarpus oregonensis — Oregon whitetop aster
- Sericocarpus oregonensis subsp. californicus
- Sericocarpus oregonensis subsp. oregonensis
- Sericocarpus sp. — White-topped aster
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.