Senecio quadridentatus
cotton burnweed
Overview
Senecio quadridentatus, cotton fireweed, is an erect perennial herb growing 0.3-1 m (1-3 ft) tall, with stems and leaf undersides covered in a layer of white cottony hairs. The leaves are narrow, linear to lance-shaped, 3-10 cm (1.2-4 in) long, green above and white-woolly beneath, with margins that are mostly smooth or carry a few small teeth. Small cream to pale yellow flower heads without spreading ray florets are grouped in loose clusters at the stem tips. The ripe seeds carry a tuft of soft white hairs that give the plant its cottony look as they mass together. It grows on disturbed ground, roadsides, pasture, grassland, and open forest across Australia and New Zealand. Like other plants in its group, it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to grazing animals and to people if eaten. It is short-lived, seeds freely, and can build up on overgrazed or disturbed land.
Native Range
Native to Australia and New Zealand, growing on disturbed ground, roadsides, pasture, grassland, and open forest. It is widespread across the southern and eastern mainland and Tasmania.Suggested Uses
Occasionally grown in native and habitat plantings as a quick-growing groundlayer and pioneer. More often it appears on its own as a coloniser of disturbed and overgrazed land. Its alkaloid content and weedy habit limit deliberate planting near pasture.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'3"
Width/Spread1' - 1'8"
Bloom Information
Small cream to pale yellow flower heads open mainly from spring into summer in loose clusters at the stem tips. The rayless heads are followed by fluffy white seed heads carried on the wind. Flowering and seeding can continue over a long period in mild conditions.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
cream to pale yellowFoliage Description
green above, white-woolly beneathGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-10 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