Senecio polyanthemoides

Bees, wasps, flies, butterflies and beetles all love this little shrub, which is common in disturbed ground and is flowering now.  Senecio polyanthemoides is an annual plant that can grow quite tall. It seeds itself prolifically – lots of fluffy windborne seeds are produced continually.  The small, bright yellow flowers are clustered on branched inflorescences and are easily visible in the grass.   Reputed to cause death in horses, it is the bane of hay farmers, but certainly makes a cheerful display in mid-winter.  Senecio is a largest genus of flowering plants (2000 species worldwide) with over 300 species found in South Africa.  

This information (and much in other Inspector Indigenous columns) is from Elsa Pooley’s wonderful book “Field Guide to Wildflowers KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Region”, an absolute treasure trove of interesting and useful botanical information. 

Click on any of the links below to see another Dargle wildflower