California Invasive Plant Council

Senecio elegans

Synonyms: Senecio elegans var. elegans

Common names: redpurple ragwort, purple ragwort, wild cineraria

Redpurple ragwort (Senecio elegans L.) is an annual herbaceous plant native to Cape region of South Africa. Leaves and stems are covered in dense glandular hairs; flower heads are comprised of purple ray- and yellow disk florets; plants can grow to a height of 1m. It has been introduced across Europe as an ornamental. Senecio elegans has naturalized and spread in dune habitat along the coast of California since it was first recorded from San Francisco County in the mid 1920’s, likely as an escaped cultivar. It is also well established in its introduced range along the southeastern and southwestern coast of Australia, where it is listed as an environmental weed, as well as in New Zealand and the Azores.

Cal-IPC Rating: Watch

CDFA Rating: None?

Explanation of CDFA ratings

• A – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment.
• B – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution.
• C – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread.
• D – An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, or is known to be a parasite or predator.
• Q – An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because of incomplete identification or inadequate information.
• * – An asterisk next to the rating indicates that a plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds.
• -* – This plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds, but is otherwise not rated.

More details

Assessment(s)

Plant Risk Assessment - An evaluation of the potential for a plant to be invasive in California.

Weed Management Notes

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Inventory Update 2022. Burger, Jutta. Vol 30, Issue 1
• Weed Alerts 2021. Burger, Jutta; Price, Robert. Vol 29, Issue 3

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• Weed alerts 2021 and inventory updates. Burger, Jutta; Price, Robert (2021)

Other Senecio elegans Information

• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
• EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
• GBIF - Global distribution information.
• Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.
• The Plant List - Global taxonomic resource and collaborative clearinghouse from Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Missouri Botanic Garden and others.

Additional photos