Solved Weed or!!!! - Ragwort

Book says "toxic cyrrohosis of the liver in the long term, often none in the short term, or constipation, loss of condition, signs of jaundice."

Don't eat the stripey catterpilars that feed on it either.

 

Thank Zigs

 

When my dad worked on a farm, he used to walk around once a week during the spring and summer and pull it out when he spotted. An inspector came from DEFRA once and spotted some that my dad had missed, so the farmer got officially ordered to remove it, so my dad just went and pulled it out there and then.

I don't know about its effects in humans, but it is a threat to grazing animals because although the amount of toxin per plant is fairly harmless, it never leaves the liver. It just accumulates over time until it reaches dangerous levels, then it starts to kill off the cells in the liver, and then its game over for the poor animal.

 

I think it looks too bushy for ragwort. Having said that it's all over the island even though it's illegal to let it grow and self seed. The seeds can remain dormant for twenty years in the soil. Definitely handle with gloves as the sap can be absorbed through the skin. I have it from time to time in my garden, I dig it out and put it in a plastic shopping bag, tie it up so it rots then put it in my wheelie bin for collection.

Ironically, it's the National flower of the island!

 

Which, the ragwort or the plastic shopping bag?

Oh no wait, you must mean the ragwort, the carrier bag is the national flower of South Africa:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3013419.stm

 

It's about time plastic bags were banned here too Clueless!

 

I don't think they should be entirely banned, but I think they should be disproportionately expensive. If there was a mandatory minimum price of £2.50 per bag, if someone really needed one, they could buy one, but it would get rid of the 'its free or nearly free' attitude and make people either reuse their bags, or use proper bags in the first place.

I'm guilty. I happily use the free the free bags most of the time because it is easier than making the effort to take a bag with me, but if I make a specific trip to the greengrocers, I take my rucksack. The lady in there knows me by now, but the first time she was visibly shocked in a good way when she asked if I needed a bag, and I told her no, my rucksack is empty. Apart from saving plastic it had a much more profound impact. It resulted in an actual conversation that lasted 10 or 15 minutes, starting off with her saying she does the same and her husband mocks her for it but she just finds it easier to carry stuff on her back, to which I agreed, and before we knew it we were practically arranging a date

 

In Lidl or Aldi I grab an empty box from the shelf filler. That's been used once and is going to be chucked and it's easier to use than a carrier bag, plus I can recycle it. Or lay it on the ragwort as a suppressant mulch.