Golden Ragwort - Bright Yellow Blooms in the Shade - Packera aurea - A Native Plant Pollinators Love

Packera aurea, commonly called golden ragwort or golden groundsel, is a somewhat weedy North American native perennial valued for its ability to thrive in moist, shady locations, naturalize rapidly, and produce a long and profuse spring bloom. It often grows in moist soils in low woods, ravines, swamps, and next to streams and springs. Features flat-topped clusters (corymbs) of yellow, daisy-like flowers (to 1" diameter) atop sparsely-leaved stems in early spring. Oblong stem leaves are finely cut (pinnately lobed) and quite distinctive. Flowering stems typically rise 1'-2' tall from basal clumps of long-stemmed, heart-shaped, toothed, dark green leaves that often have a purplish tinge beneath.
Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Blooms well in shady locations. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Freely self-seeds and is easily grown from seed. Naturalizes into large colonies in optimum growing conditions. Remove flowering stems after bloom/seed dispersal. Basal foliage will serve as an attractive ground cover throughout the growing season as long as consistent moisture is provided. Basal foliage will be evergreen to semi-evergreen in climates at the warmer end of its hardiness range (generally Zones 6-8).
Genus named for 20th century North American botanist John G. Packer.
No serious insect or disease problems.
Ground cover for moist, shady areas. Large naturalized plantings in woodland gardens can be spectacular in bloom. Also effective in bog gardens, along streams or ponds, wild gardens, cottage gardens, native plant gardens and borders.