Senecio pyrenaicus

Perennial of the Asteraceae family, endemic to the Pyrenees, where it is present on both the French and Spanish sides, with some stations in the nearby Cantabrian mountains.

It occupies rocky grasslands, stabilized screes, edges of tall herb communities, and rock borders, generally between 1,400 and 2,400 meters, on siliceous or mixed substrates, fresh to moderately humid. It favors sunny to semi-shaded exposures.

The plant forms bushy and generous clumps, 30 to 60 cm in height, very branched at the time of flowering. The leaves are lanceolate to oblong, toothed on the margins, a bright green and slightly shiny on the upper side, paler underneath. A notable detail visible in the field is the contrast between this deep green foliage and the profusion of bright yellow capitula that almost entirely cover it at anthesis.

The radiating capitula, borne on slender peduncles, have intense yellow ligules arranged around a central dome of the same hue, slightly more orange. They are grouped in loose and abundant corymbs that give the plant a bright and generous appearance in full bloom. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to September.

In cultivation, it requires a fresh, well-drained soil, rich in humus, in full sun or light semi-shade. It is suitable for large rock gardens, flowering slopes with a mountain character, and naturalized compositions at altitude.