climbing groundsel vs Common Globe-Thistle

Senecio angulatus compared with Echinops sphaerocephalus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	climbing groundsel	Common Globe-Thistle
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Asterales (キク目)	Afrosoricida (アフリカトガリネズミ目)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Tenrecidae
Genus	Senecio	Echinops
Species	Senecio angulatus	Echinops sphaerocephalus

Conservation Status

climbing groundsel

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Globe-Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	climbing groundsel	Common Globe-Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

climbing groundsel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Chile).

Common Globe-Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

climbing groundsel

Climbing Groundsel, Senecio angulatus, is a woody, scrambling perennial vine in the family Asteraceae native to South Africa, particularly the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, where it grows in coastal scrub, fynbos margins, and forest edges. The species produces yellow daisy-like flower heads in terminal clusters from autumn through spring, which are followed by fluffy white achenes dispersed by wind. Climbing Groundsel has become widely naturalized and highly invasive in many parts of the world where it has been introduced as a garden ornamental, including Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. In Australia, it is listed as a major environmental weed in southeastern states, particularly New South Wales and Victoria, where it invades coastal heath, dry sclerophyll forest, and urban bush remnants, smothering native vegetation with dense scrambling growth. The plant regenerates readily from stem fragments and produces abundant wind-dispersed seeds. Control in invaded habitats requires sustained effort combining physical removal and herbicide application. In its native South African range, Senecio angulatus is part of diverse coastal scrub communities and is not considered threatened. The genus Senecio is one of the largest flowering plant genera in the world, with species ranging from annuals to giant tree groundsels in tropical alpine zones.

Common Globe-Thistle

<em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em>, commonly known as the common globe-thistle or great globe-thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. The species has a distribution spanning Europe, North America, and Oceania, with naturalization in several regions outside its native southern and central European range. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> typically inhabits dry, open, and disturbed habitats including roadsides, waste ground, rocky slopes, and steppe grasslands, where it is well adapted to poor, well-drained soils. It produces distinctive spherical, steel-blue flower heads that are highly attractive to pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valued plant in native garden planting and ecological restoration. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. <em>Echinops sphaerocephalus</em> is a robust, spiny plant that can grow to considerable height and spreads readily in suitable open habitats. Its ornamental qualities and pollinator value have contributed to its deliberate planting in gardens and public green spaces beyond its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom