Ragwort is a bit of a double edged sword this one.... on the one had it is great for wildlife with swathes of yellow nectar rich flowers that attract hoverflies, bees and butterflies and leaves that the caterpillars of Cinnabar Moths find irresistible.
Eristalis intracarius on Ragwort (Me)
Cinnabar Moth Cat (Tony Coombs)
Cinnabar Moth (Mark Hart)
However, it is incredibly poisonous to livestock (which would become deadstock...) so every year we head out to uproot the plant while it is flowering in any areas where we place our cattle. It is left around the trail edges for the wildlife to enjoy but we must remove it before a hay crop can be gathered. It is very tenacious and requires a good tug to get it out of the ground and gloves must be worn as even the juices of the plant are an irritant.
We regularly utilise the kind help offered by organisations such as Goldman Sachs and HSBC who send down Team Challenge squads to do the dirty work. This week has seen the turn of our neighbours from Veolia who have done a fantastic job out on Aveley....
Off out onto Wennington next...
27-8-12
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer