Rutland council asks residents to report Ragwort flower
Ragwort is a very common wildflower that poses a risk to livestock
Rutland council is asking residents and occupiers of grazing land to report cases of a common wild flower that is posing a risk for livestock.
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is native biennial which is a food source for a wide range of insects. It is not usually a significant problem in gardens, but its poisonous qualities can make is a serious weed in paddocks and gardens backing onto fields grazed by horses or cattle.
It is important that residents make the council aware of ragwort deemed at risk. Any cases that are reported will be looked at on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they don’t pose any risk to grazing livestock. Any ragwort that is deemed a risk will then be tackled.
Rutland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities, Cllr Christine Wise, said:
‘Ragwort is an important park of UK biodiversity and therefore we are following Code of Practice to ensure that it is not eradicated but is prevented from spreading in areas that pose a high risk for grazing livestock. We therefore need residents, landowners and occupiers of grazing land to report any Ragwort growing on verges via FixMyStreet. This can include areas noted last year where we will monitor for this coming season wherever possible.
‘Livestock owners are responsible for the welfare of their animals and have their own duties in terms of ensuring that their animals are not exposed to ragwort. However, if we are notified of any high-risk areas then we can target resources to these verges.’
To report cases of Ragwort that are posing a risk to livestock please go to https://rutland.fixmystreet.com/