# ragwort (*Jacobaea vulgaris*) Ragwort is a bright yellow flower that grows in fields and along roadsides. It's known for its cheerful color and can attract many insects, making it a lively part of nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Common Ragwort, Stinking Willie ![ragwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Jacobaea_vulgaris-3235.jpg&width=800) Photo: Julie Anne Workman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacobaea_vulgaris-3235.jpg) ## Appearance The ragwort has clusters of bright golden-yellow daisy-like flowers atop a sturdy, often purplish stem. Its deeply lobed, ragged-edged leaves are often dark green above and paler below, making it distinct from many similar wildflowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Jacobaea ## Interesting facts - It can produce over 150,000 seeds from just one plant! - Ragwort has deep roots that help it find water in dry soil. - Some insects can eat its poison and become poisonous themselves! - This plant was once used to make yellow and green dyes! ## Special abilities - **Chemical Armor:** Ragwort can produce special chemicals (alkaloids) that make it taste bad or even harmful to most plant-eating animals, protecting itself. - **Wind Traveler:** Ragwort has fluffy parachute-like seeds that can float on the wind for long distances, helping it spread and find new sunny spots. - **Quick Recovery:** Ragwort can grow quickly and colonize disturbed ground, even after damage, making it a pioneer plant in new habitats. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-120 cm - **Spread:** 20-50 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to early autumn (June-October) - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cinnabar Moth](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cinnabar-moth) (*Tyria jacobaeae*) — Its caterpillars munch ragwort leaves. - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Drone Fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — Feeds on nectar and carries pollen. - **Eaten by:** Common Garden Snail (*Helix aspersa*) — Sometimes munches on its leaves. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Do not touch or eat ragwort, as it can be harmful if ingested. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify ragwort? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is ragwort? 30-120 cm ### How wide does ragwort spread? 20-50 cm ### How big are the flowers on ragwort? 1.5-2.5 cm ### When does ragwort bloom? Summer to early autumn (June-October) ### Is ragwort edible? No ### Is ragwort toxic? High ### What is ragwort's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Capitol State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capitol-state-forest) — Washington, US · Forest - [Martha Springer Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/martha-springer-botanical-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Selleck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/selleck) — Washington, US · Historic District - [Clatsop Butte Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clatsop-butte-park) — Oregon, US · Park - [Georgengarten & Welfengarten (Hannover)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgengarten-welfengarten-hannover) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park [View all places to see ragwort](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ragwort) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Ragwort: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ragwort)