# Sticky Groundsel (*Senecio viscosus*)

Sticky Groundsel is a fun plant that can stick to your clothes! It has bright yellow flowers and grows in many places. You might find it in fields or along roadsides.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Sticky Groundsel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Kleverig_kruiskruid_R0020102.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Me, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleverig_kruiskruid_R0020102.JPG)

## Appearance

The Sticky Groundsel has erect, branched stems covered in sticky glandular hairs. Its deeply lobed, often sticky leaves frame small, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that lack ray florets or have very short ones. This stickiness makes it feel unique among roadside plants.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Senecio

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, 'viscosus,' means sticky, just like its touch!
- One Sticky Groundsel plant can produce thousands of seeds in a single season!
- Pulled-up plants can still make seeds if left on the ground!
- Tiny moths specialize in eating groundsel, making it their main food source!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Sticky Groundsel has tiny glandular hairs that make it super sticky, helping deter small pests and capture pollen.
- **Hitchhiker Seeds:** Its sticky seeds readily attach to animal fur or clothes, helping Sticky Groundsel spread far and wide.
- **Quick Colonizer:** Sticky Groundsel can rapidly grow in disturbed areas, quickly taking over bare patches of soil.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-60 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Drone fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding pollen transfer.
- **Eats:** Groundsel Bell (*Cochylis atricapitana*) — Larvae feed specifically on Senecio species 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.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sticky Groundsel?

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 Sticky Groundsel?

10-60 cm

### How wide does Sticky Groundsel spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sticky Groundsel?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Sticky Groundsel bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is Sticky Groundsel edible?

No

### Is Sticky Groundsel toxic?

Mild

### What is Sticky Groundsel's lifecycle?

Annual

## 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*)

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Source: [Sticky Groundsel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sticky-groundsel)