Senecio atratus, July 23, 2021
Common & scientific name
Black-tipped senecio, Senecio atratus
Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae
Location
Roadside, 10,300’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
We LOVE this native flower at the Independence Pass Foundation because it doesn’t mind—maybe prefers—disturbed ground, like roadsides or rock retaining walls, where it stabilizes steep slopes where other flowers find it hard to grow. It is also tall, handsome, and an unusual shade of gray-green (owing to the thick hairs on its leaves), and grows in large colonies. And it’s well-named and easy to remember: its phyllaries have distinct black tips!
S. atratus, roadside, 11,700’, August 3, 2021