Common tansy

Description:

Tansy is a flowering herbaceous plant with finely divided compound leaves and yellow, button-like flowers. It has a stout, somewhat reddish, erect stem, usually smooth, 50–150 cm tall, and branching near the top. The leaves are alternate, 10–15 cm long and are pinnately lobed, divided almost to the center into about seven pairs of segments, or lobes, which are again divided into smaller lobes having saw-toothed edges, giving the leaf a somewhat fernlike appearance. The roundish, flat-topped, button-like, yellow flower heads are produced in terminal clusters from mid-to-late summer. The scent is similar to that of camphor with hints of rosemary. The leaves and flowers are toxic if consumed in large quantities; the volatile oil contains toxic compounds including thujone, which can cause convulsions and liver and brain damage.

Habitat:

Tansy is native to Eurasia and it is found in almost all parts of mainland Europe. It grows at low- mid-elevations along roadsides, stream banks, in disturbed habitats, and pastures. It grows best in full sun and in fertile, well-drained soil.

Notes:

Spotted in rural area of Deventer, Holland.