Settle Wildflowers - Day 89 - Yellow 21 - Sticky Groundsel, Common Groundsel and Ragwort

1. Common Groundsel - Senecio vulgaris

I think we all know Common Groundsel - one of the commonest weeds in our gardens. Each head is made up of I suspect over 100 tiny florets. - Why not pull one apart and count them?

the first picture is from 25 Sept in Giggleswick Station Car Park and the lower one is from 20 April outside the Coop. It is also a plant I often see on my January 1st New Years Day Plant Hunt



25 Sept Giggleswick Station



20 April Cobbles Below the Coop, Settle


2. Sticky Groundsel: Senecio viscosus

This is much less common - and more likely to be found in a dry street waste place than in your fertile garden.


We found it on a Thursday walk from the Hub in September, timed to fit in with the meal that is open ot all on Thursday Lunchtimes - (Settle Community Munchers). there is still lots of it about and a good chance that it too will last till 1 January.

It is like groundsel but it also has ray florets round the edge of the flower head. It has hairs with glands making it sticky.

Sticky Groundsel in Geenfoot Car Park

3. Ragwort - Senecio jacobaea

Cinnabar Moth on Ragwort at Helwith Bridge on YNU excursion

Not a Senecio but a bit similar:

4. Canadian Goldenrod:  Solidago candensis - 10 Sept Watery Lane with the Hub walk to the allotment - A Garden Escape 

Other Senecios:

I have seen other Senecios in Yorkshire.

1. Senecio aquaticus - Marsh Ragwort - I had hoped to find that

There have been, in the BSBI and BSC recording schemes, 1 record in the Settle tetrad and 2 in the Langcliffe Tetrad in the past. All that is necessary is a marshy area next to the river.. but none of my lockdown walks took me to the correct place at the coorect time this year! Maybe another year.

2. Fen Ragwort - I found this at the Slaidburn Forest near Stocks Reservoir many years ago - but that is 9 miles away as the crow flies

3. Oxford Ragwort. There is lots of this on the Railway Line Stations near and on Bradford. Not yet at Settle

4. Narrow-leaved Ragwort or South African Ragwort - Senecio inaequidans - I enjoyed finding this in Bradford on our walk to visit worship buildings of different Faith Organisations in August 2019

I have recorded 250 wildflowers in this blog.

Many plants have finished flowering now.

Do you think there are any more flowers to find at this time of year?

Just you wait!!

Click here for more  Settle Lockdown Wildflower Walks