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PLEASE NOTE:
"Poisonous" does not mean deadly. Some manifestations of toxicity are subtle. The dose, as always, determines if a plant is safe source of nutrients or a toxic hazard.

Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions

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BRIEF: Could you give me a list of landscape plants that are toxic to horses?


QUESTION:
Could you give me a list of landscape plants that are toxic to horses?

ANSWER:
A useful list would depend upon your location. Oleader kills its share of stock in warmer climates, while yew and members of the cherry genus (Prunus spp.), are the #1 and #2 horse-killing poisonous plans around here. Members of the rhododendron/azelea/laurel grouping cause trouble all over the country. Yellow star thistle is not a landscape plant, but it is common on inadequately irrigated disturbed sites all up and down the West Coast. Groundsel and fiddleneck cool alot of western horses, too. Again these weeds are not ornamentals, they thrive in disturbed sites and can be found in orchards and among the landscaping.