A client of mine who has a big domestic garden in Kent, England UK asked me to dig out a big yellow flowering weed from her flower border on July 4th 2014. We both suspected it was Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) which is poisonous to certain animals. But the leaves had no unpleasant smell and they did not look the correct shape for Ragwort? Has anyone ideas of what it could be? The overall height was approx 4 foot.
Re: Big yellow weed Sorry, cannot see enough detail in the flowers or leaves to suggest what it is. Any chance you could add good close ups. Full size. Thanks.
Yes, better photos will get you a positive ID, but Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) keeps coming to mind: could be other things (as mentioned) but compare to this one.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a different plant to Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). But what is visible of the leaves of this plant doesn't really look right for either.
Maybe not jacobaea, but the common name "Tansy Ragwort" indeed applies to the species: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Senecio jacobaea You could also go with "Stinking Willie"....
That source is incorrect - perhaps not too surprising as they don't have direct experience of the species as a native plant.
Tansy Ragwort had been much used for Senecio jacobaea. An established pattern is that Tansy is Tanacetum vulgare and Tansy Ragwort is Senecio jacobaea.
