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Weed Identification in Nurseries and Landscapes

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Common groundsel - Senecio vulgaris L.
Weed Identification in Nurseries and Landscapes > Common groundsel
Common groundsel flower head Common groundsel seedhead
Common groundsel flower head. Mature seedhead of common groundsel.
Common groundsel plant Common groundsel seedling
Common groundsel plant. Common groundsel seedling.
Life cycle: Summer or winter annual capable of multiple generations per year.

Leaves: Alternate, sparsely hairy to smooth with variable leaf shape. Young leaf margins may be smooth to slightly wavy; older leaves have deep, irregular lobes and coarsely toothed margins. Lower leaves have short stalks; upper leaves are stalkless.

Stems: Smooth, erect and multiple-branched. Usually no taller than 12 inches.

Flowers and fruit: Numerous yellow, cylinder- to cone-shaped flower heads are produced in clusters at the stem ends. The seed is enclosed in a single-seeded, wind-disseminated fruit that forms in a white, approximately 0.5-inch-wide puffball collection.

Reproduction: Seeds.
 
 
The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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Updated: 10/17/07