Flower profile

Small's ragwort

Packera anonyma

Small's ragwort (Packera anonyma) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Small's ragwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

19states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,074U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Georgia, South Carolina

Quick look

Packera anonyma, called Appalachian ragwort and Small's ragwort, is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae.
From Wikipedia's article Packera anonyma, 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 19 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,834 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #36 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 410 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #99 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (637 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Georgia	Native	April–May	1,834
South Carolina	Native	few records (34)	410

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
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S5, secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), DE (S1), LA (S2), NJ (S1), PA (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 peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 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 small's ragwort in 19 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, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Bartow, Ben Hill, Bibb, Catoosa, Clarke, Clay, Cook, Dade, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Elbert, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Grady, Greene, Hall, Harris, Hart, Heard, Lamar, Laurens, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Pickens, Putnam, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Taylor, Troup, Turner, Walker, Walton, Washington, Wilkes.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Hampton, Horry, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, York.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Senecio anonymus, Senecio smallii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 438 counties across 15 states; the most are in Virginia (94), North Carolina (79), Tennessee (57).

Other Packera on Bloomipedia (3): Butterweed, Golden ragwort, Lobeleaf groundsel.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Georgia flowers

Dogfennel

Eupatorium capillifolium

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in GA

Butterweed

Packera glabella

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–April

Late boneset

Eupatorium serotinum

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: August–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PAAN6.
iNaturalist, Packera anonyma: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Packera anonyma (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Packera anonyma (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Joshua Johnson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.