Taxon Report

Packera hesperia (Greene) W.A. Weber & A. Love

western ragwort

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Taxon Summary

Packera hesperia, commonly known as western ragwort, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 500 to 2500 meters. Packera hesperia is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Packera hesperia (Greene) W.A. Weber & A. Love
Common Name:	western ragwort
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST8H1L0
USDA Plants Symbol:	PAHE11
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	500-2500 (1640-8205)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.2 on 2007-04-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	4
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Gasquet (4112378)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	100 %
Improper burning regime	4	100%
Logging	1	25%
ORV activity	1	25%

Notes



Known only from the Siskiyou Mountains.
Threats:
Possibly threatened by alteration of fire regimes, logging, and vehicles.
Taxonomy:
A synonym of Senecio hesperius. Not in The Jepson Manual (1993).

Selected References

Proposed Addition to California Rare Plant Rank 2.2, G3 / S1.2

Pittonia 2: 166 (1891)

Phytologia 49: 47 (1981)

Packera hesperia profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2018)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 19 November 2025].