Smarts
New User
Does this look like ragwort???
- Thread starter Smarts
- Start date
Burnttoast
Well-Known Member
No. Possibly ribwort plantain, which goes black when dried.
lialls
Well-Known Member
I think that's a thistle, it's got very fine hairs on it which ragwort doesn't have and thistles usually do.
PurBee
Well-Known Member
I second this. We once had a lovely mix of meadow hay we collected, and the bales had loads of plantain in it.
It’s disconcerting at first to see all those black dried leaves, but the ribbed slim long stems with distinctive bobble top seedheads helped ID the leaves. The leaves are ribbed and hairy close-up.
OP, Ragwort tends to be orange stemmed throughout, when fully dried. Some of the thicker main stem could still have some greenish/purplish colouring to it. The flower heads clusters would be found and are like a bunch of bobbles, if flowers not yet open formed, or ribbed flower clusters open on top of the main stem.
It’s main stem is a lot thicker than hay grasses, like dock seed stems, so usually can be easily seen.