Groundsel

Groundsel (Senecio) - An immense genus of over a thousand described species, most of them worthless weeds, but with a few plants of value. They are exceedingly variable in habit, including annuals and herbaceous perennials, shrubby plants and low trees, climbers, and even succulents, but there is much sameness in the flowers, which are yellow or orange in most kinds, though sometimes purple or white. They are among the most easily grown of plants, and readily increased from seeds, cuttings, division, or root-cuttings. The silvery and down-covered kinds do best in dry corners and fully exposed, while others, such as the large-leaved, tall-growing herbs, thrive in rich moist soil at the waterside, with some shelter from wind. The following are the best of the few cultivated kinds:—

Groundsel Pictures

Packera cana - woolly groundsel

Related Flowers

Senecio Adonidifolius

Senecio Adonidifolius - A neat hardy perennial, common in France and distinct from other wild kinds of Europe. The rigidly erect stems measure 2 to 3 feet, with glossy and finely-cut foliage and bright orange-yellow flowers in July. As it spreads from the root, its true place is the rougher part of the garden, where it is well worth a place.

Senecio Artemisiaefolius

Senecio Artemisiaefolius - A perennial with broad clusters of showy yellow flowers on stems of 12 to 18 inches high. The deep green leaves are finely cut and give a feathery appearance. S. abrotanifolius has similar foliage, but its orange-yellow flowers are larger and fewer. These are hardy European plants of the easiest culture in the rock garden or border.

Senecio Campestris

Senecio Campestris - A native plant, only worth growing in its scarcer form maritima (syn., S. spathulaefolius), found wild with us in a few spots, but only common in the south of Europe. It is an interesting and pretty plant, with orange-yellow flowers of the size of a shilling carried as clustered heads upon stems of 6 to 12 inches high. A similar species is the Piedmont Groundsel (S. Balbisianus) from the mountains of N. Italy, and growing from 3 to 9 inches high, with a ring of hoary root-leaves. The golden flowers, contrasted with the foliage, have a very bright appearance. Both these kinds like a light rubbly soil and a dry sunny place.

Dusty Miller

Dusty Miller (Senecio Cineraria) - A fine-leaved, half-shrubby perennial from the Mediterranean coast, where it grows from 1 1/2 to 3 feet in height, with much-cut silvery leaves and clustered heads of yellow flowers late in summer. It is tender in many gardens, and especially in cold wet soils, but is useful for its brightness during summer when planted in May or June. Cuttings taken in autumn will root slowly on a greenhouse shelf, but need careful watering in winter. This is the best means of increase, for though readily grown from seed, the seedlings are often poor. There are several good garden forms with very white leaves more or less finely cut, the best of these being candidissima, and a French form, Diamant.

Senecio Clivorum

Senecio Clivorum - From China, with large heart-shaped leaves of shining green, a foot or more across, and tall much-branched heads of orange-yellow flowers with a brown centre, 2 to 3 inches wide, in July and August. A bold waterside plant of easy culture, too coarse for the border, and not particular as to soil.

Senecio Doronicum

Senecio Doronicum - One of the showiest and most useful of the group, 1 foot to 3 feet high, with stout stalks of large bright yellow flowers in early summer. It is hardy anywhere and in any soil. Seed or division. Central Europe.

Senecio Douglasii

Senecio Douglasii - A much-branched plant of 3 feet, with a shrubby base, and known as the Squaw Aster in N.W. America. Its leaves are small and narrow or much cut, and the flowers appear as very large heads of pale yellow flowers, each an inch or more across. To do well this needs a sheltered sunny corner and dry soil.

Purple Jacobaea

Purple Jacobaea (Senecio Elegans) - This beautiful half-hardy annual has long been a favourite in gardens. It has a dwarf form (nana) about a foot high, and there are varieties with double flowers which are showy and desirable, ranging in color from white to deep crimson, and lasting a long while. The plant does best in rich sandy loam and planted in bold masses, which flower from July to October, according to the time of sowing. Cape of Good Hope.

Senecio Greyi

Senecio Greyi - A curious hardy shrub of 3 to 4 feet from New Zealand, with oval silvery leaves and loose heads of yellow flowers. There are several allied shrubs from New Zealand and S. America, which are sometimes planted in collections of the rarer evergreens, and are more or less hardy according to local conditions.

Senecio Japonicus

Senecio Japonicus - One of the finest of the large kinds, standing about 5 feet high with us, its leaves nearly a foot across and divided into about nine divisions. The flower-stems are slightly branched, and bear flowers 3 inches across of a rich orange color, in autumn. This is a hardy, moisture-loving plant, and should be grown in rich and moderately stiff loamy soil, and beside a lake or pond where it will never lack moisture. Japan-where it is said to reach a height of 15 feet.

Senecio Macrophyllus

Senecio Macrophyllus - a stout leafy perennial, 6 feet high when full-grown, the glossy green leaves and much-branched heads of small yellow flowers of stately effect when grown boldly on the lawn or in the wild garden.

Senecio Paludosus

Senecio Paludosus - A handsome waterplant for the wild garden, found in our own fen district and in wet places throughout Europe. It stands 4 to 6 feet high, with long narrow leaves which are coarsely toothed and white with cottony down while young. The bright yellow flowers appear in July and August. Division.

Senecio Pulcher

Senecio Pulcher - One of the handsomest, 2 to 3 feet high, bearing in late autumn rosy-purple flowers 2 to 3 inches across. The plant is hardy, but its beauty is often marred by frost and bad weather. It grows best in deep moist loam, and where some protection can be given from autumn frosts. With us it rarely ripens seed, but is easily increased in spring by cuttings of the roots, an inch long, pricked into pans of light sandy soil and placed on a shelf in the greenhouse. Buenos Ayres.

Senecio Rotundifolius

Senecio Rotundifolius - A shrub recently come from New Zealand, with large rounded leathery leaves covered with a yellowish felt underneath. It is said to be a good seaside plant in its own land, despite its large leaves, and though as yet on trial in this country, it has endured 16 degrees of frost without injury upon the south coast.

Senecio Saracenicus

Senecio Saracenicus - In moist places in the west of England this plant grows wild, reaching a height of 4 or 5 feet. It is useful for the margins of ponds or streams, where it spreads fast, and, associated with the Willow Herb, gives a beautiful effect. Similar to this is S. Dorio, also well suited to the wild garden.

Senecio Tanguticus

Senecio Tanguticus - A new kind from China, with stout spiry stems of 6 or 7 feet, and bold leaves cut into irregular lobes. The yellow flowers are small, appearing in autumn, when the general effect of the plant is bold and pleasing, growing apart on the lawn or in the wild garden. S. Veitchianus and S. Wilsoni are new Chinese species of bold habit well suited to waterside gardening or woodland.

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