h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

'...it is a beneficial plant. It supports a wide range of insects and is a major nectar source for butterflies, moths and bees, many of which are in decline in the UK.'

According to Graham HGarvey writing in today's Daily Mail (UK), it's leaves provide food for 27 species of moth and half-a-dozen beetles.

Pollen... is collected by bees. Ther downside is that bees visiting too many ragwort plants produce honey containing measureable amounts of the toxins.

'Ragwort is a biennial plant2, a rosette in the first year, and flowering for around six months (from spring to autumn) the next, and self seeds very efficiently, beginning in September during the flowering year. It can become established in an area very quickly if left unchecked. The seeds can last for over 10 years in the soil if deep enough, so disturbing soil can bring them back to the surface to begin sprouting again.'

Apparently (according to Graham Harvey) a single stalk can produce 200,000 seeds in one season. They can survive in the soil up to 16 years.
The trigger for action is light. When seeds in the upper soil are suddenly exposed to sunlight - by moles, worms, rabbit scrapes or the impact of animal hooves - they spring into life.

Synonyms not already mentioned: Staggerwort, Mare's Fart .

Poem by John Clare:

'Ragwort thou humble flower with tattered leaves. I love to see thee come and litter gold'.

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that about the bees, I've been passing entire fields of the stuff at the moment, and there's loads and loads of it along lots of roads. I may steer away from honey for a while!

I haven't seen any cinnabar moth caterpillars for a long, long time, though (years!), although I keep looking.

I read soimewhere that they're in decline

Apparently they are, though some heathlands rich in ragwort have plenty in supply... Personally, I have very strong feelings regarding ragwort... Generally along the lines of 'Destroy every last vestige of it from existence and sorry to all the wildlife that depends on it, learn to adapt!' Not very realistic or particularly rational and I'm not going to do it, but having spent so long digging the damn stuff up, trying to get other people to dig it up and seeing horses living in fields full of it, I'd love to flame-thrower the lot!

I see fields with it and horses in, you can complain to the council I think, and they'll make them clear it.

I think it's a lovely looking plant, found some growing in my garden once, so I left it (no horses in this house) but it didn't come back so I guess the seeds aren't that efficient!

Yes, it can be forced but you cant ring up about every field with animals in and every verge bordering a livestock area, especially if you're travelling.



It's just so horriffic the effects it has on animals, and the fect you dont usualy spot it until it's too late to do anything is heartbreaking and it's tricky to tell if an animal you want to buy is already damaged by it.