Common Ragwort

Senecio jacobaea

Plant Data

Order:

Asterales

Family:

Asteraceae (Daisy)

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flowers:

Dense, yellow daisy-like and compact clusters of flat-topped flowerheads. Clusters are generally more compact than with other Ragwort species. Individual flowers are up to 2.5cm.

Fruit:

A round, ridged, glabrous or short-haired seed (achene). 2mm long with hairs on the tip.

Leaves:

The leaves are raggedy looking. There are arranged alternate along the stems. The 1 to 2 times pinnately lobed leaves each have a small terminal lobe. The lobes have margins which are large-toothed and are often rounded. The lower leaves are short-stalked. The upper leaves are without a stalk and half clasp the stem.

Maximum Size:

100cm tall.

Foraging Notes:

All parts of Common Ragwort are poisonous. This plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which damages the liver. Damage done to the liver is cumulative at each dose so the more that is ingested, the worse the damage would be.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

Scented leaves resembling the smell of Chrysanthemum.

Other Names:

Benweed, Cankerweed, Cankerwort, Dog Standard, European Ragwort, St James' Wort, Staggerwort, Stammerwort, Stinking Nanny, Stinking Ninny, Stinking Willy, Tansy, Tansy Ragwort.

Habitats:

Farmland, grassland, meadows, moorland, mountains, roadsides, swamps, wasteland, waterside, woodland.