Common Name:

Fireweed

Senecio madagascarensis

Senecio madagascarensis is a non-native plant which grows well in disturbed areas on road sides and pastures, and can be found near the Visitor Information Station and along the road leading from Hale Pohaku to the summit of Mauna Kea.

Fireweed is particularly troublesome for ranchers as it contains a pyrrolizidine alkaloid which can cause liver damage in humans and livestock. Sheep and goats seem to have a higher tolerance to grazing fireweed, but there have been reports of cattle dying as a result of repeated exposure to the plant.