Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Hawthorn?

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) — a shrub. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — hawthorn is safe for alpacas.

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.). Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Crataegus spp.
Family
Rosaceae
Plant type
Shrub

Feeding notes

Safe hedgerow browse; thorns can injure eyes.

How to offer it

  1. Introduce any new forage or browse gradually over a week or two.
  2. Make sure it is fresh — avoid moldy, wilted piles or plants sprayed with herbicide.
  3. Keep a balanced diet: grass or hay first, with a camelid mineral available.

About the plant

Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, Mayflower or hawberry, is a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The name "hawthorn" was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe, especially the common hawthorn C. monogyna, and the unmodified name is often so used in Britain and Ireland. The name is now also applied to the entire genus and to the related Asian genus Rhaphiolepis.From Wikipedia — “Crataegus”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 2,032,803 recorded observations of Crataegus L. worldwide, including 123,617 in the United States. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, together with Cherry Laurel, Chokecherry, Wild Black Cherry, Cherry Tree (sweet & sour cherry), Peach & Nectarine Tree (leaves, pits). See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Can alpacas eat hawthorn?
Yes. Safe hedgerow browse; thorns can injure eyes.
How much hawthorn can an alpaca eat?
As part of a varied diet based on grass or grass hay, it can be eaten freely. Introduce new browse gradually.

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 Q132557.