Flower profile

Golden ragwort

Packera aurea

Native in the lower 48

Golden ragwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

32states

3of our state lists

13,105U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Packera aurea, commonly known as golden ragwort or simply ragwort, is a perennial flower in the family Asteraceae.
From Wikipedia's article Packera aurea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Maryland, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.9 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,197 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #76 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,578 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #83 among the 110 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 651 research-grade sightings of it in West Virginia, ranking #51 among the 110 flowers on our West Virginia list. ^iNaturalist

Golden ragwort gift ideas

Handmade golden ragwort gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,644 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Virginia	Native	April–June	2,197
Maryland	Native	April–May	1,578
West Virginia	Native	March–May	651

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MS (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: leaves. Symptoms they list: “Liver toxicity; skin irritation following contact.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records golden ragwort in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Wise, Wythe, York.

West Virginia counties with USDA records: Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Kanawha, Logan, Marion, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Monongalia, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Preston, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur, Wetzel, Wirt, Wyoming.

More Virginia flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

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🌼 Blooms in VA: May–October

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in VA: July–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in VA: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PAAU3.
iNaturalist, Packera aurea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Packera aurea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Packera aurea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Ron Burkert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.