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Asteraceae
Ragwort
Jacobaea vulgaris
Tenacity and the fine line between weed and wildflower.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Jacobaea
- Native to
- Europe, northern Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer, Early Autumn
- Type
- biennial or short-lived perennial
- Height
- 30–100 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry to medium, well-drained
- Water
- low to medium
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- biennial; sometimes short-lived perennial
Did you know
- Ragwort is the primary food plant of the cinnabar moth caterpillar, which stores its toxins for defense.
- It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to horses and cattle, making it a regulated weed in many countries.
- Despite its bad reputation with farmers, ragwort supports over 170 insect species in Britain alone.
- A single plant can produce 150,000 seeds, each equipped with a parachute of fine hairs for wind dispersal.
- The name 'ragwort' comes from the ragged appearance of its deeply lobed leaves.
Color meanings
Yellow
determination against all odds