Ragwort

A blight on the pastures or an important food source? Ragwort is a common wild flower and the one which causes more disagreements than any other. I was under the impression that farmers were obliged by law to uproot any they found in their fields because it is poisonous to livestock. (It now seems it is only horses who succumb to the toxicity of the plant and cattle are immune.) On the other hand, ragwort is the only source of food for several moth caterpillars, including rare species such as the cinnabar moth, the ruby tiger moth, the goldenrod pug moth and the Sussex emerald moth. It just goes to show that even Mother Nature can't please all the people all the time.