Salvation Jane

AKA Paterson's Curse

This toxic weed is known as Salvation Jane or Paterson's Curse and if your horse has access to it, read on and learn about the dangers. !

Poisionous Plants For Horses

Some of you will already be familiar with Salvation Jane aka Paterson's Curse, others will be learning about it for the first time. During drought conditions, horses might be driven to eat this weed in greater quantities. Given the right conditions, Salvation Jane can deposit 30,000 seeds per metre of soil. This makes it very hard to control as you can wipe it out one year, then have to do it all over again the following spring when seeds in the soil germinate.

Study the picture's here and if you think it even vaguely resembles any vegatation in your pasture, move the horse IMMEDIATELY, then either rip the weeds out by the roots or consult an expert about poisoning. It has been declared a noxious weed in most states.

Paterson's Curse Flower

Paterson's Curse

What Does it Look Like?

Salvation Jane grows to around 1 metre high, starting out as a rosette and growing into vertical flowering stems around 1m high, with large, showy blue/purple flowers comprising five petals. The stem leaves are hairy and heart shaped at the base.

Salvation Jane is native to Europe and is also known as Paterson's Curse because it was thought to have been introduced into Australia during the 1800's by a family named Paterson who lived near Albury, NSW and who bought some seeds for their garden.

Dangers
The weed contains substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids which affect a horse's liver over a period of time, taking anything from a few weeks to several years, depending on how much and how often it's eaten. Even small quantities eaten over a number of years can cause irreparable liver damage.

Symptoms of poisoning include a decreased appetite, listlessness, stumbling, impaired vision, increased thirst, complusive circle walking, photo sensitization and lack of coordination.

Poionous Plants To Horses

Dangers of Paterson's Curse

Horses and pigs are the most suscepitable to Salvation Jane poisoning, followed by cattle, sheep and goats.

If you've been told horse's wont eat this weed, then think again. Horses graze for 4-5 hours daily and if there's some in their paddock, chances are they'll eat it. Why take the risk? Be aware your horse may eat Salvation Jane that's in baled hay.

There are studies to control Salvation Jane biologically with weevils and beetles, who destroy the weed during it's early stages, however these can take years to start having an effect.

Another form of control is good pasture management, not letting paddocks get over-grazed, which allows the weeds to take over. Never put your horse in a paddock that contains a little or a lot of Salvation Jane !

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