Golden Ragwort – Packera Aurea
Sustainable Landscaping with Native Plants
“We’re losing biodiversity globally at an alarming rate, and we need a cornucopia of different plants and animals, for the planet’s health and our own.”
A native plant of North America, Golden ragwort is an easily grown garden plant with large clusters of yellow flowers that brighten shady areas of the spring garden. This species is very widely distributed in the eastern North America in USDA hardiness zones 3 – 9. Habitats include wet deciduous woods, meadows, banks of rivers, streams and lakes, slopes of rocky ravines, and roadsides.
The large clusters of ¾” daisy-like flowers grow on stems 1-3’ above basal leaves. The foliage forms an effective ground cover in shady, moist to dry woodlands. The plants spread readily by seed and underground roots, forming large colonies. Preferring consistently moist, well-drained soil, Golden Ragwort can grow in full sun to full shade, however more sun requires more moisture. It is an excellent plant species for native and wild gardens as well as color for shady wooded areas.
Some excellent companion plants in a woodland garden or a shady perennial border are Eurybia divaricata (white wood aster), Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern), Dryopteris marginalis (marginal wood fern), Amsonia tabernaemontana (bluestar or blue dogbane) and Phacelia bipinnatifida (fernleaf phacelia).
About Golden Ragwort
Golden Ragwort is a carefree plant which prefers full sun to light shade in wet to moist soils with ample organic matter to retain moisture. It is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae).
Golden ragwort’s stout, thick, basal offshoots creep horizontally and send up erect flowering stems 1-3 ft. in height. The flowers are deep golden-yellow with a daisy like appearance. The heart-shaped basal leaves are dark-green above and purple beneath. The stem leaves are lobed. The roots colonize and the plant can achieve a ground cover effect over time.
Packera aurea, when planted en masse, can and does provide a spectacular golden glow to any spring woodland garden or area. A hardy plant with relatively few problems. This species is easy to grow and maintain with moderate levels of N, P and K. It will naturalize under optimal conditions.
The nectar and pollen of the flowers are attractive to small bees and flies such as little carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, and various Halictid bees. The caterpillars of the gem moth (Orthonama obstipata) feed on the foliage. Other than that it has no serious insect and is disease resistant. Other effective uses of Ragwort are within bog gardens, along streams or ponds, wild gardens, cottage gardens, native plant gardens or borders.
The root and leaf were used in teas by the Cherokee Indians for heart trouble, and to prevent pregnancy. Other Native Americans used it to regulate menses, to aid childbirth, treat urinary problems and to treat lung diseases such as tuberculosis. It is also used for external ointments and infusions for ulcers and wounds. The leaves contain a low toxicity alkaloid (Pyrrolizidine). The foliage is shunned by most mammalian herbivores due to its toxicity and is therefore deer, rabbit and rodent resistant.
At Lincoln Landscaping cultivating the environment is our life and livelihood. It is our number one goal to help our clients create and maintain beautiful landscapes while reducing the impact on the environment. Whether you are interested in a pollinator landscape garden design and build or other landscaping or property management project; we can create for you an environmentally friendly, organic and beautiful property.
Lincoln Landscaping of Franklin Lakes offers complete
organic landscaping, lawn care, turf and property management services.
Lincoln Landscaping “The Natural Choice”
Mike Kolenut President & CEO
https://lincolnlandscapinginc.com
(201) 848-9699
