Senecio adonifolius

Perennial of the Asteraceae family, endemic to the mountainous massifs of southwestern Europe, mainly the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, with some locations in the Maritime Alps and the northern Apennines.

It grows on dry, rocky alpine lawns, heather moorlands, siliceous outcrops, and sunny slopes, generally between 800 and 2,000 meters, on acidic, well-drained substrates, poor in organic matter.

The plant forms upright, branched clumps 20 to 50 cm in height. The foliage is one of its most characteristic features: the leaves are finely divided into very narrow linear segments, reminiscent of those of Adonis, which is reflected in its specific epithet. Dark green and slightly leathery in texture, they partially persist during winter.

The flowers are bright yellow radiating heads, grouped in loose terminal corymbs. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to September. In cultivation, it sometimes occurs as early as late June.

In gardening, it requires full sun exposure, poor, siliceous, and perfectly drained soil. It withstands summer drought once well established. Its fine foliage makes it an interesting subject for acidic rock gardens or heather gardens.