Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Boxwood Poisonous to Alpacas?

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) — a shrub. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

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

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Buxus sempervirens
Family
Buxaceae
Plant type
Shrub
Also known as
Holaaaaaa, Common Boxwood, Common Box, common box
Toxic parts
Leaves and twigs
Toxic compound
Steroidal alkaloids (cyclobuxine)

Why it matters

Popular formal hedge. Never give boxwood clippings or holiday greenery containing box.

Signs of boxwood poisoning in alpacas

  • Colic and diarrhea
  • Trembling
  • Respiratory difficulty
  • Death in large amounts

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 boxwood

  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. Bring a sample or clear photo of the plant to help identification.
  4. Do not give home remedies, oils or try to make the alpaca vomit unless your vet tells you to.
  5. Keep the animal quiet, in shade or shelter, with water available. Write down the time and every symptom you see.
  6. 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

Buxus sempervirens, the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Buxus, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco, and east through the northern Mediterranean region to Turkey. Buxus colchica of western Caucasus and B. hyrcana of northern Iran and eastern Caucasus are commonly treated as synonyms of B. sempervirens.From Wikipedia — “Buxus sempervirens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 177,011 recorded observations of Buxus sempervirens L. worldwide, including 792 in the United States. It belongs to the Buxaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is boxwood poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — boxwood is toxic to alpacas. Popular formal hedge. Never give boxwood clippings or holiday greenery containing box.
What part of boxwood is toxic to alpacas?
Leaves and twigs.
What are the symptoms of boxwood poisoning?
Colic and diarrhea, trembling, respiratory difficulty and death in large amounts.
Is dried boxwood 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 Q27344.