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Photo by Zach Coury; Zach Coury; Zach Coury; Zach Coury; Zach Coury
Tall ragwort
Senecio serra var. admirabilis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G5T3T4
State (S-rank): S2
External links
Species range
Ponderosa pine, spruce-fir, and subalpine meadow communities, at 1830 to 3185 m in the La Sal Mts. , Grand and San Juan cos.; Wyo. and Colo. (Welsh et al 2015).
Estimate from download of data from Utah Rare Plant Database on November 20th, 2020.
Geocat 1033 observations: Extent of Occurrence: 62.315 km2.
Including the observation from Donna Barnes in the Abajos the EOO is approximatey 251.496 so a range is provided
Threats or limiting factors
The main threats are from habitat degradation due to impacts from fire, grazing, recreation, drought, and road maintenance.
Threats compiled using observations and notes from Utah Rare Plant Database and Utah Geospatial Resource Center GIS Data downloaded in 2024. Severity of impacts are not well known so ranges are provided where appropriate.
Fire has impacted some occurrences and this risk is likely increasing due to beetle kill. All occurrences are within grazing allotments. The plants are not palatable, but may be trampled. Observations in the Utah Rare Plant Database note that livestock farming and ranching is a threat for 17 observations located at three different occurrences at Dark Canyon, Wet Fork of Mill Creek, and along Geyser Pass Road. All occurrences are within mapped mountain goat habitat (AGRC, 2025). The Utah Native Plant Society (accessed 2025) note that "Threats to this taxon include grazing-related impacts from cattle and naturalized mountain goats. Goats were introduced by the State of Utah for trophy hunters. Climate change is also a threat. Droughts and rapid snowmelt due to wind-blown sediments are melting snowpack earlier than normal in our region." and "It is a high priority to monitor these alpine endemics that may be impacted by naturalized animals introduced by the State of Utah." Drought and climate change is also a threat and likely impacting this species through out it's range (Wrobleski, 2023). Observations near La Sal Creek noted recreational impacts (URPD, accessed 2025). Recreational use of habitat, such as foot traffic, dispersed camping and OHV related activities, may pose a threat to some populations throughout its range. As the human population grows in areas within easy access to habitat and as recreational use increases, the impacts may become substantially more significant. A few occurrences near roads may be impacted by maintenance.
