Tansy Lane

 Common tansy lines both sides of a snowmobile trail I walked today in Grant Lake Township. This is a noxious weed that grows thick and impedes other species. The yellow button like flowers form in July and August. Common tansy was imported from Europe for medicinal purposes. Tansy has been used to treat worms, cure seizures, reduce the pain of rheumatism, and cure digestive problems. In the Middle Ages, high doses of common tansy were consumed to cause abortions. Common Tansy can make cows and horses sick if they eat it. The smell is similar to camphor. Tansy was used to line caskets to mask the smell of death. I think the only way to get rid of this much tansy would be to mow the sides of the road so often the flowers can't form or spray the road sides with a herbicide.