Ragwort flowers

These yellow flowers are blooming profusely now in old fields and along the roadside. This is Southern Ragwort (Packera anonyma), a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae). “Wort” is an Old English name for a plant, and it is found in many plant names, such as liverwort, St. John’s Wort, and mugwort. This plant is sometimes called Wooly Ragwort. Both the “Wooly” and the “Rag” part of the name refer to the hairy nature of the lower leaves.