Annual Fireweed
Senecio glomeratus
Erect or ascending daisy to 140 cm tall, but can be over 1 m. New growth greyish from soft white hairs. Lance-shaped leaves clasping the stem to 15 cm long, with prominent jagged teeth or lobes. There is also a large toothed ear-like structure where the leaf joins the stem (auricle). Leaves are densely hairy like cobwebs underneath. Yellow or yellow-green tubular flowerheads are small and narrow, held in dense clusters of 100-400 flowers at the end of stalks. Seedheads very fluffy.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Herbs |
| Distinctive Features | Dense cobweb-like hairs on the leaves. |
| Biology | Annual or short-lived perennial. Moist soils in a range of vegetation types. Also NZ. The name fireweed refers to the large stands of this plant that often establish after fire. Seeds dispersed by wind. Seeds germinate mainly in autumn, with growth mainly in winter. Often dies off over summer to a rootstock which reshoots in autumn. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Nov-Feb |