Small's Ragwort is a native wildflower in the Aster family that is found in a variety of drier habitats in much of the eastern United States, excluding New England. It often flourishes in habitats that are wet during the winter and dry in summer. It can easily be found in all areas of NC and is considered marginally weedy. As one of the first native flowers to bloom in abundance, it is a favorite of the uncommon early-season butterflies (elfins and hairstreaks) and several bees and beetles. It is also a host plant to the Gem moth ( Orthonama obstipata ). The flowers appear in April and are bright yellow with both ray and disc flowers in clusters up to 100 individual flowers. The basal leaves are serrated and the stem leaves are lobed. It prefers sandy, well-draining soil and full or partial sun but is adaptable to most soil types. Plants are usually short-lived, so divide older clumps or start new plants from seed. This is a great plant for the edges of a meadow or naturalized area to help feed those early bees and butterflies. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The basal leaves are narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate up to nearly a foot long and taper to long stems. Margins are serrated. The surface is usually glabrous. The stem leaves are alternate and may be sessile or have short stems. They are reduced in size as they go up the stem. Usually pinnately lobed.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The ray and disc flowers are both bright yellow and occur in flat-topped clusters with 20-100 individual flowers. There are 8-15 rays per flower. Flowers are 1/2 inch wide. Blooms April to early June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Fruit ellipsoid achenes; pappus a tuft of white bristles
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The ribbed stems are usually glabrous except near the bases and leaf axils where there is some hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern U.S.A.
Distribution
AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Wildlife value
Attracts a variety of hungry insects, including butterflies, cuckoo bees, Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, Syrphid flies, skippers, and beetles. Host plant to moths including Gem moth (Orthonama obstipata).