Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Caution

Can Alpacas Eat Juniper & Eastern Red Cedar?

Juniper & Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus spp.) — a tree / shrub. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

Juniper & Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus spp.)
Juniper & Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus spp.). Photo: Júlio Reis (Tintazul), CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Caution
Scientific name
Juniperus spp.
Family
Cupressaceae
Plant type
Tree / shrub
Also known as
juniper
Toxic parts
Needles and berries in quantity
Toxic compound
Isocupressic acid and essential oils

Why it matters

Light browsing is common and usually harmless; pregnant females should not be forced to eat juniper when forage is short.

Signs of juniper & Eastern red cedar poisoning in alpacas

  • Abortion (in cattle; suspected in other species)
  • Digestive upset

If your alpaca ate a lot of juniper & Eastern red cedar

  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

Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomic authority, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south as tropical Africa, as far north as the Arctic, and parts of Asia and Central America. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas, creating one of the highest tree lines on earth.From Wikipedia — “Juniper”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 1,381,235 recorded observations of Juniperus L. worldwide, including 184,102 in the United States. It belongs to the Cupressaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is juniper & Eastern red cedar poisonous to alpacas?
It can be. Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation. Light browsing is common and usually harmless; pregnant females should not be forced to eat juniper when forage is short.
What part of juniper & Eastern red cedar is toxic to alpacas?
Needles and berries in quantity.
What are the symptoms of juniper & Eastern red cedar poisoning?
Abortion (in cattle; suspected in other species) and digestive upset.
Is dried juniper & Eastern red cedar 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 Q25662.