Tansy Ragwort
Senecio jacobea
Sunflower family
Where is it from?
- Tansy is native to Eurasia.
Where are you likely to find it?
- Tansy occurs in open fields in relatively moist environments.
- The largest patches in the Redwood National and State
Parks are in Crescent City near Endert's Beach. Smaller
populations occur along Highway 101 and in the Bald Hills.
What makes it a "BAD" plant?
- Tansy displaces native grasslands and creates dense
fields of tall, yellow flowers.
- Tansy is toxic to livestock, altough it is not known to
harm any wild animals.
How do you get rid of it?
- Small infestations can be pulled by hand. A pulaski might
be helpful if the soil is dry. The roots must be pulled
out for the plant to die.
- The large infestations at Crescent City are being
controlled with the Tansy Flea Beetle, an introduced
biological control agent. The parks cooperate with county
agricultural experts in these control efforts.
What can you do to help?
- If you find Tansy ragwort in the park outside the
Endert's Beach area, please contact the Vegetation
Management branch at the South Operations Center in Orick
(707-464-6101, ext. 5282). Draw a map or write down a mileage
to where you found them. Tell park staff where you saw the
plants so they can be mapped for future work projects.
- CAUTION: Do not remove plants without permission
in writing or direction from the private land owner,
manager or, if on public lands, an agency official.
- To get even more involved in control of exotic species,
sign up as a Volunteer in Parks (VIP).
