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Senecio glomeratus

cutleaf burnweed

Asteraceae

Southeastern Australia and New Zealand

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

Overview

Senecio glomeratus is an erect annual or short-lived perennial herb in the daisy family, growing 1.5-5 feet (0.5-1.5 m) tall on a single branched stem. The soft leaves are 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, deeply lobed and toothed, and clasp the stem at the base. In summer and autumn the stem tips carry dense flat-topped clusters of small yellow flower heads about 0.2 inch (4-5 mm) wide, made up of disc florets without spreading ray petals. Each head ripens to a tuft of slender white pappus hairs, and the seeds are carried on the wind. It is native to southeastern Australia and New Zealand, where it grows on disturbed ground, forest clearings, and burnt sites, often appearing in numbers after fire. The plant is fast-growing and short-lived, completing its cycle in a season or two. Like other Senecio spp., it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to livestock and people if eaten.

Native Range

Senecio glomeratus is native to southeastern Australia, including Tasmania, and to New Zealand. It grows on disturbed and burnt ground, in forest clearings, and along roadsides and creek banks on a range of soils.

Suggested Uses

Senecio glomeratus has no horticultural use and is a self-sown colonist of disturbed and burnt ground. It plays a part in early regeneration after fire but is treated as a pasture weed because of its toxicity to stock.

How to Identify

Identify by the erect branched stem to 5 feet (1.5 m), the soft deeply lobed and toothed leaves that clasp the stem, and the dense flat-topped clusters of small yellow flower heads without spreading ray petals. Each flower head ripens to a tuft of white pappus. The rayless yellow heads and lobed clasping leaves separate it from ray-flowered Senecio spp. and ragworts.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 5'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering occurs mainly in summer and autumn, with dense clusters of small yellow heads at the stem tips. Flowering can begin within a few months of germinating, and seed follows quickly on white pappus tufts. Plants often flower heavily in the season after fire.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 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 Range5.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Senecio glomeratus grows in full sun to part shade on disturbed, often recently burnt ground, and is not a cultivated plant. It germinates quickly after rain or fire and competes with other ground flora as a short-lived pioneer. In pasture it is treated as a weed because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to grazing livestock. Plants are managed by removal before seed set, as the wind-borne seed spreads readily. It has little frost tolerance and dies back in cold or dry conditions.

Pruning

No pruning is practised, as the plant is short-lived and managed as a weed rather than grown. Cutting or slashing before the heads set seed reduces the spread of wind-borne pappus seed. Whole plants are easily pulled out, as the root system is shallow.