In this country diary, the focus is on groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), an often-overlooked wildflower that has been blooming throughout the winter. While many people search for the first signs of spring, groundsel has been quietly flowering, undeterred by winter conditions. Found by a roadside, this cluster of groundsel plants is described as “a wild flower for all seasons” since it blooms in every month.
Groundsel is viewed as a persistent weed by gardeners, but to botanists, it is a ruderal—a plant adapted to colonizing soil disturbed by human activity. It produces inconspicuous yellow flowers that don’t require a pollinator, and its seeds are easily carried by the wind. The article discusses groundsel’s resilience in the face of winter challenges, from being frozen in ice to enduring road de-icing salt.
The piece also delves into groundsel’s global journey, as it followed Europeans to North America and the antipodes, only to return to Europe with an added companion. The leaves of these roadside groundsel plants now bear yellow spots caused by a rust fungus called Puccinia lagenophorae, originally from Australia. This fungus weakens the plant without killing it, ensuring a continued supply of hosts. The article emphasizes groundsel’s role as a traveler and part of a globalized weed flora.
The author concludes by reflecting on the beauty of the rust fungus under a microscope, describing the structures as “tiny cups erupting through the leaf surface like miniature suns.” Despite lacking the celebrity status of more famous plants, groundsel and its interaction with the rust fungus offer a unique and important story in the realm of botany.
