Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Bracken Fern Poisonous to Alpacas?

Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) — 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 — bracken fern is toxic to alpacas.

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

Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum). Photo: Hugo.arg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Pteridium aquilinum
Family
Dennstaedtiaceae
Plant type
Wild plant
Also known as
Bracken, bracken
Toxic parts
Fronds and rhizomes; toxicity is cumulative over weeks
Toxic compound
Ptaquiloside (carcinogenic, marrow-suppressing) and thiaminase

Why it matters

Usually avoided while other forage is available, but animals on poor pasture or fed contaminated hay eat it. Control bracken by mowing or pulling before grazing.

Signs of bracken fern poisoning in alpacas

  • Bleeding from nose or in feces after weeks of grazing
  • Fever and infections from bone-marrow damage
  • Blood in urine (bladder tumors with chronic exposure)
  • Neurological signs from thiamine deficiency

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 bracken fern

  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

Pteridium aquilinum, commonly called bracken, brake, pasture brake, common bracken, and also known as eagle fern, is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres. Originally native to Eurasia and North America, the extreme lightness of its spores has led to it achieving a cosmopolitan distribution. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with large, triangular fronds that grow from an underground rhizome.From Wikipedia — “Pteridium aquilinum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 1,108,646 recorded observations of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn worldwide, including 75,557 in the United States. It belongs to the Dennstaedtiaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is bracken fern poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — bracken fern is toxic to alpacas. Usually avoided while other forage is available, but animals on poor pasture or fed contaminated hay eat it. Control bracken by mowing or pulling before grazing.
What part of bracken fern is toxic to alpacas?
Fronds and rhizomes; toxicity is cumulative over weeks.
What are the symptoms of bracken fern poisoning?
Bleeding from nose or in feces after weeks of grazing, fever and infections from bone-marrow damage, blood in urine (bladder tumors with chronic exposure) and neurological signs from thiamine deficiency.
Is dried bracken fern 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 Q213548.