Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Caution

Can Alpacas Eat Black Walnut?

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) — a tree. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
?

Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation.

Occasional nibbles are usually tolerated, but problems occur with large amounts, certain plant stages or vulnerable animals.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra). Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man). Location credit to the Chanticleer Garden., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Caution
Scientific name
Juglans nigra
Family
Juglandaceae
Plant type
Tree
Toxic parts
Hulls (moldy), shavings
Toxic compound
Juglone; mycotoxins in moldy hulls

Why it matters

Black walnut shavings cause laminitis in horses; camelids are not known to be affected the same way, but moldy hulls carry tremorgenic mycotoxins. Clear fallen nuts from small paddocks.

Signs of black walnut poisoning in alpacas

  • Digestive upset from moldy nuts
  • Tremors (mycotoxins)

If your alpaca ate a lot of black walnut

  1. Remove access and estimate how much was eaten.
  2. Watch for the signs listed above over the next 24–72 hours.
  3. Call your vet if any signs appear or if a pregnant, young or sick animal ate a large amount.
  4. Reduce the plant in your pasture and keep good forage available so alpacas aren't driven to eat it.

About the plant

Juglans nigra, the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to central and eastern North America, growing mostly in riparian zones.From Wikipedia — “Juglans nigra”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 46,013 recorded observations of Juglans nigra L. worldwide, including 31,788 in the United States. It belongs to the Juglandaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is black walnut poisonous to alpacas?
It can be. Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation. Black walnut shavings cause laminitis in horses; camelids are not known to be affected the same way, but moldy hulls carry tremorgenic mycotoxins. Clear fallen nuts from small paddocks.
What part of black walnut is toxic to alpacas?
Hulls (moldy), shavings.
What are the symptoms of black walnut poisoning?
Digestive upset from moldy nuts and tremors (mycotoxins).
Is dried black walnut safe?
Drying does not reliably make poisonous plants safe. Treat dried leaves and contaminated hay with the same caution.

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 Q852572.