00642 Verges Booklet - Devon County Council

Appendix B Harmful
Weeds
(i) Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Description
Leaves are deeply cut and toothed with a ragged appearance, usually
deep green on top, the underneath being whitish green.The leafstalks
and lower part of the stem may have a purplish colour. Stout leafy
flowering stem up to one metre high, branched at the top. Flower
heads carried in a large flat-topped cluster open from Midsummer
onwards, daisy-like, bright yellow, about 2cms across.
Danger of Poisoning
Ragwort is thought to cause more loss amongst farm
livestock than all other poisonous plants.
Legislation
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is one of the harmful weeds specified in
the Weeds Act 1959.This Act gives the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) power to serve notice upon the
occupier of any land, on which Ragwort is growing, requiring him to
take action within a specified time to prevent the weed spreading. An
occupier, who unreasonably fails to comply with such a notice, renders
himself liable to prosecution and to a fine not exceeding £1,000.
Further Information and Control
For further information and details of control methods DEFRA publish
an advisory leaflet “Identification of Injurious Weeds” together with a
leaflet on the Weeds Act 1959.A contact address is given at the end of
this Appendix.
Where large infestations of Ragwort exist on highway verges or
embankments these will be treated with the herbicide 2,4-D where
appropriate. However, where growth is sporadic, manual hand pulling
will be used, the Ragwort bagged on site before transportation to a
licenced disposal site.