Packera aurea - Golden Groundsel

Sizes available: HPP #1, 2 plants per pot

Basics: zones 3-8, 12-24" x 12", sun to part shade, more shade tolerant than other Packera species, yellow umbel in mid to late spring, held high above the foliage, very adaptable as to soil and moisture. Perhaps it's ideal spot is a mesic to moist to even wet site in fertile acid soils, but on my property it is doing great on a well-drained, slightly sloping woodland edge (see image)

Synonym: Senecio aureus

Common names: Golden Groundsel, Golden Ragwort, Life Root, Uncum Root, False Valerian, Cough Weed, Cocash Weed, Staggerwort, St. James Weed, Female Regulator, Butterweed, Squaw-weed

Family: Asteracae

Origin/Distribution: eastern North America from Quebec to Georgia and west to Minnesota and Louisiana, native to Maine

Habitat: meadows, boggy swales, low moist deciduous woods, riparian areas pond or stream edge, ditch. However, see above comments in the above "Basics" section.

More: This is an underutilized and easy-going native plant. It interweaves well with other plants in many types setting and makes a good ground cover. The perky yellow flower stalks can be removed after flowering (and setting seed!) right back to the leaves, which are ground-hugging and add much to the living mulch layer of our understory. Has been used medicinally. The leaves and roots have been used medicinally. However, many ragworts also contain toxic alkaloids, so proceed with caution.

Nursery: Landscape plugs from New Moon

Image credit: Honey Petal Plants, in situ at the edge of a shady path in my garden