Research shows that Ragwort is toxic to animals. Many reports in the press in the UK do not, however, derive their information from proper scientific sources. What is overwhelmingly clear from the scientific journals is that actual poisoning is a rare event.
There are many many myths about ragwort false news and scare stories designed to scare people into eradicating this plant which is one of our most ecologically important wildflowers. These stories are debunked with proper science.
You may be ordered in extreme circumstances to control ragwort, ragwort control is not mandatory without this rare order, contrary to what is sometimes said. Read the actual text of the legislation for yourself so that you can know the truth with certainty.
Politicians have been mislead by people spreading nonsense about ragwort. As a result of this they often say things that are incorrect or even wildly untrue. You can learn more about this misinformation at the link above and be properly informed.
The risk to horses from ragwort is often exaggerated. Many people are worried as a result of this. There are false statistics in circulation which scare horse owners unecessarily. Learn the truth about those false figures and the science.
There are scare stories about the risk to human health in circulation. They are false!. You can discover the truth about the science and the false claims. These false news stories have no real basis in any proper scientific evidence.
This section of the site covers a selection of many of the false stories put out by horse organisations and others which scare people into thinking that ragwort is worse than it is. Articles debunked and scientific references provided.
One of the scare stories about ragwort is that the seeds regularly travel a long distance on the wind. This is not surported by the scientific evidence. Read the evidence from the scientific studies that shows the seeds don't move far.
Ragwort is one of the UK's most ecologically valuable wildflowers. It suupports a wide range of wildlife which eat it not just the cinnabar moth in this picture and also is one of the finest nectar sources for many other insects.
The British Horse Society and others have made many wild claims about the production rate of seeds, that scare people into thinking that ragwort is some sort of dangerous triffid. Read what the science says about this normal plant
When false claims from the publicity campaign are repeated in a commercial context by people who sell ragwort controls they become illegal under consumer protection legislation. The Advertising Standards Authority has acted on these
The lurid scare stories and the campaign against this ecologically valuable wildflower, offend the rational mind. They also make resolving the biodiversity crisis more difficult. Read more about why this site which is 2 decades in the making was made.