General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic
Mesic
Plant Height: up to 3 feet
Leaves: Spring ephemeral
Fruiting Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Other: pleasant floral scent
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Uses: Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Flood Resistant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Other: highly toxic to the mammalian liver
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Pollinators: Water
Moths and Butterflies
Flies
Bees
Wind

Image
Common names
  • Butterweed
  • Cress-leaf groundsel
  • Yellowtop
  • Cressleaf Grounsel
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Packera glabella
  • Synonym: Senecio glabellus

Photo Gallery

Date: 2020-05-27
Cute enough to pass for a flower.
Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-03-28
with Silver Spotted Skipper
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-03-29
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2014-05-13
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2020-05-30
seed distribution, upper left
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-04-17
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-03-29
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2023-04-29
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2020-05-12
bottom of stem purplish hue
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2021-05-14
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-04-19
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2014-06-09
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-03-29
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-04-28
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2014-06-09

Photo courtesy of Brian Ahern
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-06-04
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-05-25

Photo: Peter Pelser
Location: Charleston, SC
Date: 2018-03-30
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-05-09
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-05-04
Location: Natural Area in Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-29
Bloom cluster

Photo courtesy of Brian Ahern
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-04-18
Butterweed
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-04-21
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2017-04-21
farm field before planting crops
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-05-04
Location: Natural Area in Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-29
Location: Natural Area in Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-29
Location: Natural Area in Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-29
Basal leaves
Location: Natural Area in Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-29
Leaf, mid-stem
Comments:
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Apr 18, 2012 11:42 AM concerning plant:
    An annual wildflower/garden weed in Illinois. Base leaves are deeply divided w/ lobes and teeth; leaf size reduces further up thee stem. Flower clusters are terminal w/ numerous flower heads to 1" across. 12 to 20 petal-like ray flowers surround a butter-yellow disk. Found in low, wet woods, fields, and along roadsides.
    aka: Butterweed.
  • Posted by scvirginia on Mar 26, 2022 9:19 AM concerning plant:
    Years ago, I had a volunteer of this plant in one of my many pots, and liked the leaves and blooms. I read online that it was the weediest plant EVER, or something like that, so like a Nervous Nellie, I deliberately planted it out in a difficult spot, and it did not return the next year or in the years since.

    This experience reinforced my beliefs that a) few—if any—plants are weedy everywhere, and b) I should keep a new plant in a pot and let it go to seed before I determine whether it's actually weedy. And if it does come back, to keep a close eye on its progress...

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