Ragwort horror (From Western Telegraph)

I sympathise with the writer and people who keep horses or cattle wish to eradicate ragwort (Senecio jacobea) because of its potential to harm their animals if eaten: but it is a native Welsh plant that was here well before people arrived at all. The plant itself is host to a wide number of organisms which make up part of the bio-diversity of these islands, such as the cinnabar moth.

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia joponica) on the other hand, is not native, has no real natural controls and as a plant which evolved to rapidly colonise Japanese volcanos, extraordinarily invasive and persistent. (Thankfully the plants in Britain are all female and the seeds they produce mostly sterile!).

As an animal keeper myself I agree we should be managing the ragwort problem but I don't think eradication is the solution.

PS I don't think it's vile, it just should not be around cattle and horses!