How to Grow and Care for Ragworts

Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) is an annual flowering herb that is related to daisies. Though the flowers resemble immature dandelions, they never "open" the way those other yellow flowers do. Canaries and finches are particularly fond of this plant's seeds and the larvae of several moth species eat the greens. Common groundsel is toxic to humans and some livestock.

Creeping groundsel (Senecio angulatus) is a twining vine that can grow to 6 m long. Large leaves are pale green and glossy. It will grow low as a shrub or grow as a vine along a trellis, fence or garden wall. Blooms in spring with clusters of bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. It can be invasive, climbing into trees and smothering smaller plants and shrubs.

Senecio macroglossus is a flowering plant whose name means "large tongued." It is native to Southern Africa. It is commonly called wax ivy, but it does not resemble actual ivy plants. It is grown as a houseplant in temperate places.

Narrow-leaved ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) is a shrubby herbaceous perennial characterized by the vivid yellow flowerhead which is highly attractive to pollinators. Leaf shape can vary. Introduced through the wool trade from southern Africa, Senecio inaequidens became an invasive species in Europe. The plant is toxic to mammals.

String-of-pearls leaves are spherical and have clear translucent longitudinal lines on the leaf surface. When the plant is particularly well-hydrated, the longitudinal lines look almost transparent. The strings of plump, fleshy leaves look like green pearl necklaces. People often plant string-of-pearls in hanging baskets so that its stems and leaves hang pendulously in a waterfall shape and swing in the wind.