Home & Garden Magazine August 2022

Pamplin Media Group August 2022 HOME & GARDEN 19 By LISA KILDERS Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District B ouquets of yellow flowers are bloom- ing across the region. Unfortunately, these colorful blooms are from the poi- sonous plant known as tansy ragwort. They have many residents feverishly working to protect their fields and livestock. “This year is shaping up to be one of the worst for tansy ragwort that we have seen,” said Samuel Leininger, WeedWise program manager for the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District. “Weather conditions this year resulted in perfect conditions to allow these plants to flourish. We are receiving calls from concerned residents across Clackamas County.” When tansy flowers appear, the best management of this weed is a good pair of leather gloves and a healthy dose of perspi- ration from pulling mature plants. Mowing and cutting do not kill the plants and only spread the poisonous vegetation. WHY CARE ABOUT TANSY? Tansy ragwort (Jacobaea Vulgaris) has long tormented hay producers and rural landowners who graze livestock. Horses and cows are especially susceptible to this poisonous weed. Dr. Cath Mertens, a local veterinarian, warns, “The alkaloids in tansy will build up in the liver and cause irreversible damage in grazing animals. They will generally avoid eating this weed unless there is noth- ing else available. The best thing to do is to make sure your horses and livestock al- ways have something available to eat other than tansy.” Contaminated hay is also a problem be- cause it becomes impossible for feeding ani- mals to avoid tansy. Mertens urges live- stock owners, “Please pay close attention to the hay you put up or purchase.” DON’T INSECTS EAT TANSY? In the 1960s and ‘70s, two insects known as the cinnabar moth and the tansy ragwort flea beetle were released in Oregon. These biological control insects have been effec- tive but follow a boom-bust cycle. “Two years ago, the tansy ragwort popu- lation was very high, but the following year the biological control insects had reduced the tansy ragwort population by 95%,” said Joel Price, biological control entomologist for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “With little left for the insects to eat, the in- sect populations crash. In a normal year, there would be time for the biocontrol popu- lation to build up. However, the historically wet spring is causing problems for the flea beetle. This insect overwinters in the ground, and the overly wet spring is keep- ing it from reproducing quickly enough to help control this year’s tansy explosion.” ALL HANDS ON DECK Tansy outbreaks not only poison livestock but also affect the relationships of neighbors. In Clackamas County, there no longer are weed inspectors to regulate tansy ragwort, so residents are encouraged to work with their neighbors to control the weed. Tansy ragwort is manageable. Residents are encouraged to focus on areas that are grazed and along fence lines to help pre- vent plants from spreading. Flowering plants can be pulled and composted away from grazing animals or disposed of as trash. Residents also are encouraged to plan for the coming year to prevent plants from blooming. Clackamas County sees dangerous tansy infestation Weed rages across region, causing dire situation for ranchers, livestock BEST PRACTICES The Clackamas SWCD has developed Tansy Ragwort Best Management Practices (https://bit.ly/3RSj8yZ ) to help residents with their control efforts. Contact the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District at 503-210-6000 for more information. — Lisa Kilders, Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District Unmanaged tansy ragwort threatens an adjacent hayfield. COURTESY PHOTO: SAMUEL LEININGER, CLACKAMAS SWCD