Sticky Ragwort: An Uninvited Guest in North American Gardens
If you’ve noticed a small, yellow-flowered plant with unusually sticky leaves popping up in disturbed areas around your property, you might be looking at sticky ragwort (Senecio viscosus). This annual forb has quite the story to tell – and it’s one that every gardener should know.
What is Sticky Ragwort?
Sticky ragwort is exactly what its name suggests – a ragwort with notably sticky, glandular foliage that seems to collect dust and debris. This annual plant belongs to the sunflower family and produces small, bright yellow daisy-like flowers that might catch your eye from late spring through fall.
As a forb (a non-woody flowering plant), sticky ragwort typically grows as a low, somewhat sprawling annual that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season. The plant’s most distinctive feature is its sticky, almost tacky leaves that feel quite different from most garden plants.
Not a North American Native
Here’s where the story gets interesting: sticky ragwort isn’t originally from North America at all. This plant is a European native that has made itself at home across much of our continent. It’s established populations from Alaska down through the lower 48 states, and from coast to coast in Canada.
Currently, you can find sticky ragwort naturalized in Alaska, throughout most Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland), and across many northern U.S. states including Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Should You Grow Sticky Ragwort?
This is where things get a bit complicated. Sticky ragwort isn’t typically something gardeners plant intentionally – it’s more of a plant that finds you rather than the other way around. Here are some considerations:
Reasons You Might Not Want It:
- Limited ornamental value compared to native alternatives
- Can appear weedy and unkempt
- Sticky foliage collects dirt and debris
- Self-seeds readily and may spread where unwanted
- Takes up space that could support native wildlife better
Potential Benefits:
- Provides some nectar for small insects and flies
- Thrives in difficult, disturbed soils
- Requires absolutely no care once established
- Interesting texture with its glandular foliage
Better Native Alternatives
If you’re drawn to small yellow flowers and easy-care plants, consider these native alternatives that provide superior wildlife benefits:
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia species)
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
- Native goldenrods (Solidago species)
- Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Growing Conditions and Care
If sticky ragwort has already established itself on your property, here’s what you need to know about its preferences:
Ideal Conditions:
- Full sun exposure
- Disturbed or sandy soils
- Areas with poor to moderate soil fertility
- Good drainage
- USDA hardiness zones 3-8
Care Requirements:
Honestly, sticky ragwort needs virtually no care. It’s adapted to tough conditions and will self-seed readily. If anything, your care might involve deciding whether to remove it before it sets seed if you don’t want it spreading further.
The Bottom Line
Sticky ragwort is one of those plants that exists in the gray area of gardening – not particularly harmful, but not especially beneficial either. While it does provide some pollinator resources, native plants will always do a better job supporting local ecosystems.
If you discover sticky ragwort on your property, you have a choice: embrace its low-maintenance nature in areas where nothing else thrives, or remove it in favor of native species that offer greater ecological value. Either way, now you know what that sticky little plant with yellow flowers really is!
Remember, every plant choice we make in our gardens is an opportunity to support native wildlife and preserve local ecosystems. While sticky ragwort isn’t necessarily problematic, choosing native alternatives when possible helps create landscapes that truly belong in their place.
