Tansey Ragwort
Tansy ragwort is a noxious weed that is hated and feared nearly as much as scotch broom. Tansy ragwort is toxic when ingested causing irreversible liver damage. It is a danger to cattle, horses, and other grazing animals.It used to be I only saw this weed when riding horseback on old logging roads, but lately I'm seeing it on roadsides everywhere I go. I guess the county stopped spraying. There was a plant growing on the roadside in front of my house last year and I pulled it up. This year I've already pulled up ten of them in front of my house and across the road. I drove by the north end of the property on my way to town this morning and I saw several more that have popped up. I hope this isn't a sign that this is going to get worse next year.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
7 Comments:
Do animals know that this is toxic and avoid eating it?
Decrease in spraying = increase in weeds, etc.
These past two years I’ve suffered from allergies – never had them before in my life.
On the other hand, less spraying means less toxic crap leaking into the ground water. A fair trade or no?
what Beth said! I am dying with allergies this year and have never suffered them other than maybe one or two days a year in the past. This year, its going on MONTHS
Tango, my horses don't seem attracted to it, but cows and goats will eat anything.
Beth and Auntie, buy more local raw honey and buy enough to last for a year ; )
Darev, we need toxins in our water so we can build up resistance.
There are some natural critters that eat it up. Their populations kind of follow the tansy cycles, by a year or two. http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/tansyragwort-caterpillars/29098dff-6726-93d5-1304-87fea9d42fe6
It was so wet this last spring everything was growing like mad.
I have seen some of these caterpillars working over the plants, but by the end of the summer the effect was negligible. The plant still went to seed and returned the next year.
Post a Comment
<< Home