Ragwort

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When is a plant a weed? When it's in the wrong place. When is a weed a pernicious weed? When it's ragwort. Well, that is, according to various landowners who fear poisoning of their horses. There was a campaign a few years ago to raise ragwort's evil reputation to the level of major agricultural pest. Bills were drafted in parliament, lobbying organisations all got up on their own high horses and public relations machinery was set grinding. There was a point when it seemed like even looking at ragwort might become illegal.

This was at a time when invasive and destructive weed mania was on everyone's mind. Japanese knotweed was about to be assaulted by native Far Eastern bugs to try and control it, waterways were being clogged by Himalayan balsam and crassula, and rhododendrons were crowding out ancient woodland plants from grand estates.

Ragwort can cause poisoning in horses, if it's eaten, but mostly, it's not eaten by our equine friends, it's eaten by insects. Ragwort is a native plant, and its biodiversity importance rests on its food-plant status for over 30 insect species. Then there are all the others that visit the flowers after pollen and nectar. My favourites are a scarce, but very pretty picture-wing fly, Icterica westermanni, and of course, the stripy black and yellow caterpillars of the cinnabar moth.

Thankfully, tempers have settled and a kind of semi-hostile but quiet consensus has been reached. Too much ragwort, and you can rip it up, but otherwise, just leave it well alone.

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