Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Arrowgrass Poisonous to Alpacas?

Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) — a wild plant. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — arrowgrass is toxic to alpacas.

Keep it out of pastures, hay and reach of fences, and never feed trimmings.

Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima)
Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima). Photo: Elke Freese, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Triglochin maritima
Family
Juncaginaceae
Plant type
Wild plant
Also known as
seaside arrowgrass, Sea Arrowgrass, sea arrowgrass
Toxic parts
Leaves, especially when stressed
Toxic compound
Cyanogenic glycosides
Region
Wet meadows, western North America

Why it matters

Grows in wet, alkaline meadows; remains toxic in hay.

Signs of arrowgrass poisoning in alpacas

  • Rapid, labored breathing within minutes
  • Bright cherry-red gums and blood
  • Anxiety, trembling, staggering
  • Convulsions and collapse
  • Death within 15 minutes to a few hours

Signs can appear within minutes (cyanide, cardiac toxins) or only after weeks of exposure (liver toxins). Many poisoned camelids are simply found dead, so prevention is everything.

What to do if your alpaca ate arrowgrass

  1. Move the herd away and remove any remaining plant material, clippings or fallen leaves.
  2. Call your veterinarian immediately, even if the alpaca looks normal. Say what was eaten, roughly how much and when.
  3. Cyanide poisoning moves fast — your vet may have a specific antidote, so speed matters more than anything.
  4. Bring a sample or clear photo of the plant to help identification.
  5. Do not give home remedies, oils or try to make the alpaca vomit unless your vet tells you to.
  6. Keep the animal quiet, in shade or shelter, with water available. Write down the time and every symptom you see.
  7. Check every other alpaca that had access, then remove the plant permanently (including roots).

Emergency: call your veterinarian immediately. If you cannot reach them, contact an animal poison control service (in the U.S., the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or Pet Poison Helpline; fees may apply). Bring a sample or photo of the plant.

About the plant

Triglochin maritima is a species of flowering plant in the arrowgrass family Juncaginaceae. It is found in brackish marshes, freshwater marshes, wet sandy beaches, fens, damp grassland and bogs. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern Northern Hemisphere. In the British Isles it is common on the coast, but very rare inland.From Wikipedia — “Triglochin maritima”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

Main range of concern: Wet meadows, western North America. GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 116,118 recorded observations of Triglochin maritima L. worldwide, including 7,710 in the United States. It belongs to the Juncaginaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is arrowgrass poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — arrowgrass is toxic to alpacas. Grows in wet, alkaline meadows; remains toxic in hay.
What part of arrowgrass is toxic to alpacas?
Leaves, especially when stressed.
What are the symptoms of arrowgrass poisoning?
Rapid, labored breathing within minutes, bright cherry-red gums and blood, anxiety, trembling, staggering, convulsions and collapse and death within 15 minutes to a few hours.
Is dried arrowgrass safe?
No — the toxin in this plant remains active when dried, so contaminated hay and dried clippings are still dangerous.

Keeping pastures safe

  • Walk every paddock and fence line each season and remove toxic plants, including roots.
  • Never throw garden, hedge or lawn clippings over the fence.
  • Check pastures after storms for fallen branches (cherry, red maple).
  • Buy hay from known sources and inspect it for weeds.
  • Keep pastures well managed — hungry alpacas eat plants they would normally avoid.

Browse the full toxic plant checker, the printable list of poisonous plants and the list of safe plants.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.

Data: plant status compiled from veterinary toxicology references (see sources); taxonomy and occurrences from GBIF; identifiers from Wikidata Q157862.