Golden Groundsel

Known as golden ragwort, golden groundsel, or squaw weed, Packera aurea is a somewhat weedy perennial that thrives in moist shady locations, naturalizes quickly, and produces long and profuse spring blooms. Early spring brings flat-top clusters of yellow, daisy-like flowers atop sparsely-leaved stems. A distinctive feature of these stems is their finely cut and oblong leaves. Typically, flower stems are 1-2 feet tall, rising from clumps of heart-shaped, toothed, dark green leaves with a purplish tint. It is still commonly referred to as Senecio aureus due to its similarity.

The plants proliferate in soil that is average, medium to wet and is exposed to full sun to part shade. The plant blooms well in shady areas. It is essential not to allow the ground to dry out. It self-seeds freely and proliferates from seed. In optimum growing conditions, it naturalizes into large colonies. Remove flowering stems after bloom/seed dispersal. Providing consistent moisture will ensure the basal foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season. The basal foliage remains evergreen in mild winters but in harsh winters, foliage declines.