Many of our common, beloved plants and flowers are poisonous.
Here in California, goats die every year after escaping their pens and sampling any and all green things they encounter. We nearly lost a doe kid last year after she ate some daffodils - needless to say we dug them up and disposed of them.
As safety-conscious as our society is, we charge fines for not wearing seatbelts, but happily allow the cultivation of some incredibly dangerous, if beautiful plants.
For instance, Oleander is ubiquitous across California as an attractive, easy to grow hedge, and all parts of the plant are extremely toxic, the sticky, milky sap most of all. Apparently the plant tastes terrible, but just one leaf can kill an infant. They don't have to eat a second. Even honey made from oleander can engender toxic symptoms.
Of special note if you pull down an oleander hedge on your property - use gloves to prevent the sap from sticking to bare skin and do not burn the leaves or wood, as the fumes are very hazardous! Haul them to the dump instead.
Castor Beans are widely naturalized and sold in most garden centers. While the plant has a broad range of very useful industrial applications, just a few of the pretty seeds can fell an adult human, so I don't want them in my yard where children and animals play.
Some plants that are commonly used or eaten by humans can be quite toxic to pets and livestock: avocado and garlic, for example.
This is NOT a comprehensive list by any means, but includes some of the most common threats found in our pastures and gardens. The most toxic plants are listed in boldface text.
Learn what dangers lurk in your garden, and protect your beautiful animals. I am very glad that we didn't buy the avocado orchard that we looked at, or the lovely smallholding bordered along all sides with oleander hedge!
~Linda
External links:
ASPCA Toxic Plants
Safety At Home: Dangerous Plants in Your Backyard
CYANIDE-CARRYING PLANTS
Cyanogens are found in many common plants, ornamental and fruit-bearing.
Cherry (all forms)
Chokecherry
Elderberry
Daffodils (including Hyacinth and Narcissus)
Iris
Laurel
Lily of the Valley
Locust (all)
Oleander (very commonly used as a decorative shrub in CA, equally deadly to livestock and humans)
Rhododendron/Azalea (also extremely common)
Branches broken off in storms for the following trees are a common cause of sudden poisoning, as the cyanide is released when the leaves wilt:
Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Peaches
Plums
PHOTOSENSITIVITY/METABOLIC
These plants can cause photosensitivity and may lead to metabolic disorders when animals are exposed to UV light, as most goats are on a daily basis.
Cow Parsnip/Giant Hogweed
Cowbane/Water Hemlock
Goatweed
Lantana
St. John's Wort
Yucca
ALKALOID POISONS
Boxwood
Hellebore
Hemp/Marijuana (yep, again)
Jasmine
Jimsonweed (Thorn Apple)
Larkspur
Lobelia
Lupine
Monkshood
Morning Glory
Nightshade (often grows wild, domestic relatives also poisonous: potatoes, tomatoes, chili pepper, eggplant, tobacco, petunia, mandrake, angel's trumpet)
Pokeweed
Poppies
Yellow Jessamine
OTHER PLANTS POISONOUS TO GOATS
Aloe Vera
Avocado (leaves, bark, fruit and seeds!)
Buttercup
Castor Bean (common in gardens, the seeds are incredibly toxic - two seeds can kill an adult human)
Chamomile (seldom kills but will produce allergic reaction/diarrhea in livestock, dogs and cats)
Chestnut
Citrus (all forms, not usually deadly)
Cocklebur (seedling is poisonous, the later burrs are very clingy)
Crysanthemum (not usually deadly but a severe gastro-intestinal irritant)
Dieffenbachia
Dock/Sorrel
Elephant Ear
Ferns
Foxglove
Garlic/Leeks/Onions
Holly
Hydrangea (rarely fatal)
Ivy
Kidney Beans, Lima Beans (they are toxic when raw)
Lobelia
Maple (especially wilted leaves)
Milkweed
Philodendron
Rhubarb
Lantana
Privet (deadly in large quantities)
Pine (ingesting needles is a common cause of miscarriage)
Ragwort (refuse any hay supply with a lot of ragwort, as it build toxins in the liver over time, causing irreparable damage)
Tulip
Walnut
Wisteria
Yew
TANNINS
We have wild pin-oaks on our property. our goats will nibble on them but have not had a negative reaction yet. However, in a situation where hungry goats may eat a lot of oak, it could prove a health risk, as the tannins gradually affect the kidneys.
Oaks (all)
MECHANICAL INJURY
Some plants have spiky and sticky bits that can pierce skin and delicate mucous membranes (especially in the mouth with goats), sometimes causing serious injury and infection.
Many names apply to similar grasses that produce dangerous barbed awns (seeds), which you may recognize as:
Downy Brome
Cheatgrass
Foxtail
June Grass
Speargrass
Squirrel Tail
Sandspur (also known as goat head, puncture vine, the seedheads have unmistakable, incredibly painful spikes!)
BLOAT
Clover and Alfalfa are beloved by all ruminants. Unfortunately, a sudden large feeding of these legumes can cause dangerous bloating that can kill a goat within hours. Commonly affects goats that are on dry-lot or restricted green feeds, when they suddenly gain access to a rich pasture. Exercise extreme caution.
Unsecured grain supplies will net the same result of toxic bloat, should goats gorge on a large quantity. Always make sure that the grain bins are locked down from accidental access.
Here in California, goats die every year after escaping their pens and sampling any and all green things they encounter. We nearly lost a doe kid last year after she ate some daffodils - needless to say we dug them up and disposed of them.
As safety-conscious as our society is, we charge fines for not wearing seatbelts, but happily allow the cultivation of some incredibly dangerous, if beautiful plants.
For instance, Oleander is ubiquitous across California as an attractive, easy to grow hedge, and all parts of the plant are extremely toxic, the sticky, milky sap most of all. Apparently the plant tastes terrible, but just one leaf can kill an infant. They don't have to eat a second. Even honey made from oleander can engender toxic symptoms.
Of special note if you pull down an oleander hedge on your property - use gloves to prevent the sap from sticking to bare skin and do not burn the leaves or wood, as the fumes are very hazardous! Haul them to the dump instead.
Castor Beans are widely naturalized and sold in most garden centers. While the plant has a broad range of very useful industrial applications, just a few of the pretty seeds can fell an adult human, so I don't want them in my yard where children and animals play.
Some plants that are commonly used or eaten by humans can be quite toxic to pets and livestock: avocado and garlic, for example.
This is NOT a comprehensive list by any means, but includes some of the most common threats found in our pastures and gardens. The most toxic plants are listed in boldface text.
Learn what dangers lurk in your garden, and protect your beautiful animals. I am very glad that we didn't buy the avocado orchard that we looked at, or the lovely smallholding bordered along all sides with oleander hedge!
~Linda
External links:
ASPCA Toxic Plants
Safety At Home: Dangerous Plants in Your Backyard
CYANIDE-CARRYING PLANTS
Cyanogens are found in many common plants, ornamental and fruit-bearing.
Cherry (all forms)
Chokecherry
Elderberry
Daffodils (including Hyacinth and Narcissus)
Iris
Laurel
Lily of the Valley
Locust (all)
Oleander (very commonly used as a decorative shrub in CA, equally deadly to livestock and humans)
Rhododendron/Azalea (also extremely common)
Branches broken off in storms for the following trees are a common cause of sudden poisoning, as the cyanide is released when the leaves wilt:
Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Peaches
Plums
PHOTOSENSITIVITY/METABOLIC
These plants can cause photosensitivity and may lead to metabolic disorders when animals are exposed to UV light, as most goats are on a daily basis.
Cow Parsnip/Giant Hogweed
Cowbane/Water Hemlock
Goatweed
Lantana
St. John's Wort
Yucca
ALKALOID POISONS
Boxwood
Hellebore
Hemp/Marijuana (yep, again)
Jasmine
Jimsonweed (Thorn Apple)
Larkspur
Lobelia
Lupine
Monkshood
Morning Glory
Nightshade (often grows wild, domestic relatives also poisonous: potatoes, tomatoes, chili pepper, eggplant, tobacco, petunia, mandrake, angel's trumpet)
Pokeweed
Poppies
Yellow Jessamine
OTHER PLANTS POISONOUS TO GOATS
Aloe Vera
Avocado (leaves, bark, fruit and seeds!)
Buttercup
Castor Bean (common in gardens, the seeds are incredibly toxic - two seeds can kill an adult human)
Chamomile (seldom kills but will produce allergic reaction/diarrhea in livestock, dogs and cats)
Chestnut
Citrus (all forms, not usually deadly)
Cocklebur (seedling is poisonous, the later burrs are very clingy)
Crysanthemum (not usually deadly but a severe gastro-intestinal irritant)
Dieffenbachia
Dock/Sorrel
Elephant Ear
Ferns
Foxglove
Garlic/Leeks/Onions
Holly
Hydrangea (rarely fatal)
Ivy
Kidney Beans, Lima Beans (they are toxic when raw)
Lobelia
Maple (especially wilted leaves)
Milkweed
Philodendron
Rhubarb
Lantana
Privet (deadly in large quantities)
Pine (ingesting needles is a common cause of miscarriage)
Ragwort (refuse any hay supply with a lot of ragwort, as it build toxins in the liver over time, causing irreparable damage)
Tulip
Walnut
Wisteria
Yew
TANNINS
We have wild pin-oaks on our property. our goats will nibble on them but have not had a negative reaction yet. However, in a situation where hungry goats may eat a lot of oak, it could prove a health risk, as the tannins gradually affect the kidneys.
Oaks (all)
MECHANICAL INJURY
Some plants have spiky and sticky bits that can pierce skin and delicate mucous membranes (especially in the mouth with goats), sometimes causing serious injury and infection.
Many names apply to similar grasses that produce dangerous barbed awns (seeds), which you may recognize as:
Downy Brome
Cheatgrass
Foxtail
June Grass
Speargrass
Squirrel Tail
Sandspur (also known as goat head, puncture vine, the seedheads have unmistakable, incredibly painful spikes!)
BLOAT
Clover and Alfalfa are beloved by all ruminants. Unfortunately, a sudden large feeding of these legumes can cause dangerous bloating that can kill a goat within hours. Commonly affects goats that are on dry-lot or restricted green feeds, when they suddenly gain access to a rich pasture. Exercise extreme caution.
Unsecured grain supplies will net the same result of toxic bloat, should goats gorge on a large quantity. Always make sure that the grain bins are locked down from accidental access.