Poisonous Plant - Ragwort

Latin Name: Senecio Jacobaea

Picture:

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Flowering Ragwort

Ragwort Rosette is 2-3 inches in diameter and looks similar to the picture above.

High Risk

Description: Ragwort is a perennial, sometimes biennial, plant that grows up to 3 feet tall. It has flat-topped clusters of small, yellow, daisy-like flowers. The leaves are dark green, deeply dissected and toothed. It forms rosettes in the first year and flowers in the next.  During the rosette stage, which comes after the seedling stage, it lies flat on the ground about 7cms across. seeds can be dormant in the soil for up to 20 years.

Symptoms may include: Digestive disturbance, depression, frequent yawning, lack of co-ordination, photosensitisation, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, restlessness, inco-ordination and paralysis.  Symptoms may not appear for several weeks or months but can appear immediately ingested.

Notes: Does not lose its toxicity after drying and storage and contaminated hay has caused many problems. Plant should be sought out, uprooted and burnt. ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES.

Ragwort Control Act 2003

Defra Code of Practice on how to prevent the Spread of Ragwort

Horses and Homoeopathy - A case of Ragwort poisoning

Early test for ragwort poisoning University of Liverpool Veterinary School. Dr Knottenbelt has developed a blood test that could save lives - but he needs to raise vital funds. PLEASE send him a donation - your horse's life could depend on it.

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A new test is being offered by ADAS (Tel: 01902 693 229) to test for the presence of Ragwort in hay or haylage samples. The test costs £35, plus VAT, with a £1 donation going to the Ragwort Trust (Dr Derek Knottenbelt, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Wirral, CH64 7TE, Email: knotty@liv.ac.uk).

• Ragwort is highly poisonous to horses.  It damages the liver, causing seizures, coma, blindness and brain disease.  As soon as Ragwort is eaten, the damage starts.  Even one little speck will damage liver cells.  There may be no obvious signs of liver problems until the damage is irreversible.

• Ragwort was designated as an dangerous weed in the Weeds Act of 1959. Under this Act landowners can be required to prevent the plant from spreading. Failure to do this within a specified time limit renders him liable to prosecution.

• Ragwort will not establish where there is vigorous grass.

• Report all cases of  Ragwort infestation to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs.

   check your phone book for your local number,   Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department or Welsh Office Agriculture Department as applicable. 

• On verges report Ragwort infestation to your local authority and on motorways and trunk roads to the relevant Highways Agency, check your phone book for your local number.  Report  Ragwort sightings on railways to Railtrack (0345 114141).

• If the threatened land is non-agricultural your local authority may be able to act under The Environmental Protection Act (1990) or the Town and Country Planning Act (1990).

• Check with the County Landowners Association, check your phone book for your local number, to see if the landowner is a member.  The CLA is working with the BHS on a Ragwort campaign.

• The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0NU has funded and produced a free leaflet on all aspects of dealing with Ragwort.

There are four different species of Ragwort:

• Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea) - the most widespread type of Ragwort.

• Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) - common in waste places and dry pasture.

• Hoary Ragwort (Senecio erucifolius) - dry pasture weed.

• Marsh Ragwort (Senecio aquaticus) - found in wet meadows, moorland pasture, ditches and marshes.

Poisonous Plants