Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Coffee Senna & Sicklepod Poisonous to Alpacas?

Coffee Senna & Sicklepod (Senna occidentalis / S. obtusifolia) — a weed. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — coffee senna & sicklepod is toxic to alpacas.

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

Coffee Senna & Sicklepod (Senna occidentalis / S. obtusifolia)
Coffee Senna & Sicklepod (Senna occidentalis / S. obtusifolia). Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Senna occidentalis / S. obtusifolia
Family
Fabaceae
Plant type
Weed
Also known as
septicweed
Toxic parts
Seeds (especially in grain/hay) and leaves
Toxic compound
Anthraquinones and myotoxins
Region
Southern U.S.

Why it matters

Southern crop and pasture weed.

Signs of coffee senna & sicklepod poisoning in alpacas

  • Weakness and reluctance to move
  • Dark urine (muscle breakdown)
  • Diarrhea
  • Recumbency and death

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 coffee senna & sicklepod

  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

Senna occidentalis, commonly known as coffee senna, styptic weed, or septicweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is native to the southern United States of America, Mexico and South America. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves, with three to seven pairs of broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets, and yellow flowers arranged in groups of two to four, with six fertile stamens in each flower. It is an aggressive, pantropical weed.From Wikipedia — “Senna occidentalis”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

Main range of concern: Southern U.S.. GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 25,881 recorded observations of Senna occidentalis (L.) Link worldwide, including 2,134 in the United States. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, together with Rosary Pea, Black Locust, Kentucky Coffeetree, Laburnum, Lupine. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is coffee senna & sicklepod poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — coffee senna & sicklepod is toxic to alpacas. Southern crop and pasture weed.
What part of coffee senna & sicklepod is toxic to alpacas?
Seeds (especially in grain/hay) and leaves.
What are the symptoms of coffee senna & sicklepod poisoning?
Weakness and reluctance to move, dark urine (muscle breakdown), diarrhea and recumbency and death.
Is dried coffee senna & sicklepod 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 Q2720961.