White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is a beautiful native plant that is also always looking for a new location to settle in. This yea it has established an outpost around a well established rose and the September flower combined with ripening rose hips make a fine combination to feast the eye on.
Do note though … and this ought not to be a reason to avoid growing it:
White snakeroot contains the toxin tremetol; when the plants are consumed by cattle, the meat and milk become contaminated with the toxin. When milk or meat containing the toxin is consumed, the poison is passed on to humans. If consumed in large enough quantities, it can cause tremetol poisoning in humans. The poisoning is also called milk sickness, as humans often ingested the toxin by drinking the milk of cows that had eaten snakeroot. Although 80% of the plant's toxin, tremetone, decreases after being dried and stored away for 5 years, its toxic properties remain the same
On this date in nature:
On September 5, 2012, wildlife biologists identified a new wolf pack in the Yukon, contributing to the understanding of wolf ecology in Canada’s northern territories. The discovery emphasized the importance of preserving large, connected wilderness areas for maintaining healthy predator populations.