woodland wildflower

Golden ragwort

Packera aurea

Also known as Golden Groundsel, Butterweed

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Quebec to Georgia, west to Minnesota and Louisiana. Eastern North America, Zones 3 to 9

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom Mar–Aug Flowering time
Height
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A woodland wildflower for sun through shade and evenly moist soil. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +24 more
Ligated Furrow Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Golden Sweat Bee, Confusing Furrow Bee, Rufous-backed Cellophane Bee, Bristle Sweat Bee, Barbara's Mining Bee, Articulated Nomad, Cherry Mining Bee, Ceratina dupla, Andrena gardineri, Nomada superba, Mustard Miner Bee, Triepeolus cressonii, hoary sweat bee, Big-cheeked Angled-Mason, Georgia Mason Bee, Nimble Ceratina, Xylocopa virginica virginica, Pseudopanurgus labrosiformis, Andrena polemonii, Leioproctus clypeatus, Augochlorella persimilis, Tetragona dissecta
Flower flies Margined Calligrapher

also Eastern Calligrapher, Transverse-banded Flower Fly, Oblique Streaktail +13 more
Long-tailed Aphideater, Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Thick-legged Hover Fly, Eurasian Drone Fly, Black-shouldered Drone Fly, The Merodon equestris Group, Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly, Variable Duskyface Fly, Tufted Globetail, Yellow-legged Flower Fly, Eastern Catkin Fly, Sphaerophoria cylindricus, Shiny Thickleg
Butterflies Red Admiral

also Pearl Crescent, Common Buckeye, Painted Lady +10 more
Gray Hairstreak, American Lady, Orange Sulphur, Spicebush Swallowtail, Viceroy, Clouded Sulphur, American Copper, American Red Admiral, Arctic Skipper, Mitoura gryneus
Also visited by
- Beetles:
  
  Asian Lady Beetle, Seven-spotted Lady Beetle +5 more
  Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle, Polished Lady Beetle, Two-lined Leatherwing, Two-spotted Lady Beetle, Chlorophorus glaucus
- Moths: Eight-spotted Forester Moth, Orange Mint Moth
- Birds: American Goldfinch

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (30): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (7): MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Quebec to Georgia, west to Minnesota and Louisiana. Eastern North America, Zones 3 to 9The same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–8 · Canadian 2–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Rich, acidic soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.5–8.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: Medium to highHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Spread: ~2 ft (0.5 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 6+ in (15+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Mar–AugWhen it flowers.
Flower color: YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: Poisonous if eatenWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.5 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: ModerateWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.