Ragwort -What the science tells us is the truth

Ragwort dot org's home page

Ragwort and DHMO How fear of something is not always rational.

What is the real truth about horse deaths ? How statistics can be used to mislead.

How toxic is ragwort ? Not as much as you might think.

Why ragwort doesn't poison humans. A widespread myth debunked.

The law and ragwort Why there is no general obligation to control it.

Government bloopers Incorrect or misleading advice from councils and government.

Ragwort Facts

  • The plant is poisonous to livestock but reports of large numbers of deaths are unreliable or false and the scientific literature shows that incidents are rare.
  • Ragwort does not spread rapidly into fields from roadside verges. In fact the research shows that very few seeds travel more than a few yards.
  • There is no automatic legal requirement for UK landowners to control it. Under extreme conditions landowners may be ordered to do so but in the absence of this they need do nothing.
  • There is no evidence that handling ragwort leads to liver damage in people. In fact the research shows that the alkaloids in ragwort have to be eaten before they are converted into a dangerous form.
  • Horses cannot be poisoned by inhaling seeds from nearby sites. The seeds do not blow far, are not inhaled and the dose is to small to have any effects.
There are many sites on the internet that contain misleading information on ragwort. This site uses the scientific literature to show what the truth is about many stories.

It is for example true that it is, like many plants, poisonous, but it is a myth that it kills hundreds of animals yearly.
It is true that it contains substances that could poison people, but it is a myth that it can poison people who touch it.
It is true that its seeds are carried on the wind but it is a myth that hundreds of them will fly distances spreading like a plague to infect nearby fields.
It is true that its seeds have a 70% germination rate but a myth that this is significant. On average only one seed per plant will grow to a new plant.

Please note this site is being constructed. Not all the links work at present