Senecio vulgaris (old-man-in-the-spring, ground glutton, chickenweed, grimsel, ragwort)
description: winter or summer annual
place of origin: Eurasia
urban habitat: commonly found in neglected residential and commercial landscapes, vacant lots, waste dumps, stone walls, pavement openings; thrives in moist soils and full sun.
ecological function: disturbance-adapted colonizer of bare ground; food for some birds and insects.
history: Senecio vulgaris arrived early in North America, probably brought by European colonists who valued the plant for its medicinal uses, including use as a diuretic, purgative, and in the treatment of menstrual disorders and nose bleeds. All parts of the plant are toxic to many mammals, including humans, affecting the liver slowly over time cumulatively.
SITES:
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/DC/thumbs/uncult12.10.14_8086.jpg)
description: winter or summer annual
place of origin: Eurasia
urban habitat: commonly found in neglected residential and commercial landscapes, vacant lots, waste dumps, stone walls, pavement openings; thrives in moist soils and full sun.
ecological function: disturbance-adapted colonizer of bare ground; food for some birds and insects.
history: Senecio vulgaris arrived early in North America, probably brought by European colonists who valued the plant for its medicinal uses, including use as a diuretic, purgative, and in the treatment of menstrual disorders and nose bleeds. All parts of the plant are toxic to many mammals, including humans, affecting the liver slowly over time cumulatively.
SITES:
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/mobile/thumbs/uncult11.05.22_8931.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/mobile/thumbs/uncult11.04.10_7698.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/mobile/thumbs/uncult11.04.29_8249.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/mobile/thumbs/uncult11.04.29_8222.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/DC/thumbs/uncult12.10.14_8112.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/DC/thumbs/uncult12.04.01_5129.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/DC/thumbs/uncult12.04.01_4939.jpg)
![](http://www.umbc.edu/cazabon/DC/thumbs/uncult12.10.14_8086.jpg)