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Jacobaea erucifolia

hoary ragwort

Asteraceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Jacobaea erucifolia is an upright herbaceous perennial in the daisy family, reaching 30-120 cm (12-47 in) on stiff, often reddish stems. The pinnately lobed leaves are 5-20 cm (2-8 in) long with narrow segments and soft grey hairs on the undersides, giving the foliage a hoary cast. From mid-summer it bears flat-topped clusters of yellow flower heads, each 1.5-2.5 cm (0.6-1 in) across with about 13 ray florets surrounding a yellow disc. It spreads by short rhizomes and by wind-borne seed tipped with a pappus of white hairs, forming patches in grassland. The plant grows on dry to moist calcareous soils along roadsides, field margins, and rough pasture. All parts contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that damage the liver of grazing animals and humans, and the species is treated as an injurious weed of pasture across parts of its range. It resembles Jacobaea vulgaris but flowers later, has more deeply cut leaves, and carries grey-hairy rather than nearly hairless foliage.

Native Range

Jacobaea erucifolia is native to Europe and western Asia, from Britain and the Iberian Peninsula east to the Caucasus and Siberia. It grows in lowland grassland on calcareous soils and along disturbed roadsides. It has been introduced locally beyond this range.

Suggested Uses

Jacobaea erucifolia occurs in wildflower meadows and naturalistic grassland plantings on calcareous soil, where its late yellow heads extend the season for pollinators. Its toxicity to livestock limits its use in or near grazed pasture. It is most often a component of conservation grassland rather than border planting.

How to Identify

Identify it by flat-topped clusters of yellow daisy heads about 2 cm (0.8 in) wide carried on stiff stems from mid-summer. The deeply pinnate leaves have narrow, spreading lobes and soft grey hairs beneath, separating it from the broader-lobed, near-hairless J. vulgaris. Crushed foliage has a rank scent.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'11"

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from July to September, later than common ragwort. The yellow heads open in dense corymbs and are followed by seeds carried on a white pappus. A second flush sometimes follows cutting in late summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

chalk loam clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

It grows in full sun on dry to moderately moist, well-drained soil, including chalky and limestone ground. Once established it tolerates drought and low fertility and needs no watering in open sites. Hard frost causes no damage across cool temperate zones. Rich, damp soils produce taller, floppier growth. It self-seeds freely and spreads by rhizome, so it can colonise nearby bare ground. All parts are toxic, and contact with sap may irritate sensitive skin.

Pruning

Flower heads can be removed before seed sets to limit self-sowing, as the wind-borne seed spreads widely. Stems are cut to the base in autumn or late winter once growth dies down. Cut and dried material remains toxic to grazing livestock.