The ragwort seems to be flowering a bit later than usual. In previous years we have organised a 'ragwort pull' in July before they seed everywhere, but this year they are still in full bloom.
The flowers are a great nectar source and are thronged by all sorts of bees, hoverflies and beetles. The leaves are also the main foodplant for those black and yellow striped caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth.
We usually don't pull the plants with the caterpillars until they have gone off to pupate.
The reason for pulling out the plants is to stop them seeding on to neighbouring farmland where they could get into hay or silage and poison livestock.
As you can see below, there is a lot of ragwort near the skateboarding area. I wonder if that will be removed too.
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