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Author Topic: Is this safe to graze around or not  (Read 6386 times)

Twotwo

  • Joined Aug 2015
Is this safe to graze around or not
« on: August 25, 2017, 10:25:38 pm »
I think this a member of Apiaceae family, i.e. Parsley, hemlock, it is growing on a damp bank under trees, can I let my sheep graze around it or is it poisonous!

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2017, 09:10:01 am »
Can't really really tell from that picture, can you get a clear shot of a leaf and the stem?

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2017, 12:11:26 pm »
The possibility of making an error in ID of the cow parsley/hemlock/pig nut type of umbellifers is too great to make an ID from your pic.  Be very sure it's not a poisonous variety such as hemlock.  Some better pics of individual stems against a plain backdrop, and close-ups of flowers, leaves and stems would help, plus an idea of height.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

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Twotwo

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2017, 12:30:44 pm »
Ok will cut a stem and leaves ( with care !) later and photo. It is about 1-1/2 meters tall . It doesn't seem to have the feathery leaves of hemlock.

Twotwo

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2017, 05:07:22 pm »
Photo taken ! Have looked back at previous posts and on line, I'm pretty sure it's common hogweed but like others opinion. If that is the case, I guess it's ok for the sheep to graze around it.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2017, 11:20:02 am »
No it's not hogweed - the leaves of hogweed are not divided where this has separate leaves down the stalk.


The only thing I can see which looks like the leaves, stem and flowers plus location is lesser water parsnip.
However, the flower heads on yours don't have any bracts beneath them, where water parsnip does.


You could just feed it to your animals and see what happens  :coat:   No, I don't mean that.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2017, 11:26:25 am by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Twotwo

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2017, 02:25:50 pm »
Thanks Fleecewife yes you are right not hogweed ... we now think it is wild Angelica. Yet another member of the umbellifer family. As far as I can find out it's ok to let them graze around it ...your thoughts

Twotwo

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2017, 05:37:30 pm »
My it's good from my plant identification, I'm walking the fields and lanes studying leaf shapes etc

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2017, 09:07:20 pm »
Just scared myself by looking up Cowbane.  It's so hard from pics to make a firm ID but it's even got the pinky/purple stems, right shaped flowers and from some images the right growth habit.  It's very poisonous.
I think you might need an expert ID to be safe.
https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/common-water-hemlock
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Is this safe to graze around or not
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2017, 07:43:43 am »
I'm pretty sure thats water parsnip. I have loads here and its a real pest. It grows in gravel in a stream and clogs it up, the roots trap soil particles and the stream is totally silted up with water parsonip. One site said to spray it with gypsoate before it flowered but I'm hesitant to spray chemicals around water and couldn't find other sites saying it was ok so thought best to not to. The sheep do eat it sometimes

 

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