Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Deadly

Is Lily of the Valley Poisonous to Alpacas?

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) — a garden plant. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

Yes — lily of the valley is highly poisonous. Small amounts can kill.

Keep alpacas completely away from this plant, including clippings and fallen leaves.

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Deadly
Scientific name
Convallaria majalis
Family
Asparagaceae
Plant type
Garden plant
Also known as
Lily-of-the-valley
Toxic parts
All parts, including water in a vase
Toxic compound
Cardiac glycosides (convallatoxin)

Why it matters

A shade-loving garden groundcover that spreads aggressively along fences and buildings.

Signs of lily of the valley poisoning in alpacas

  • Sudden death (often the first sign)
  • Slow, irregular or very fast heartbeat
  • Weakness, trembling, collapse
  • Diarrhea and colic
  • Cold extremities

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 lily of the valley

  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

Lily-of-the-valley, also written as lily of the valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native to Europe, Western Asia and Northern Asia.From Wikipedia — “Lily of the valley”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 483,121 recorded observations of Convallaria majalis L. worldwide, including 13,519 in the United States. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family, together with Hyacinth. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is lily of the valley poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — lily of the valley is highly poisonous. Small amounts can kill. A shade-loving garden groundcover that spreads aggressively along fences and buildings.
What part of lily of the valley is toxic to alpacas?
All parts, including water in a vase.
What are the symptoms of lily of the valley poisoning?
Sudden death (often the first sign), slow, irregular or very fast heartbeat, weakness, trembling, collapse, diarrhea and colic and cold extremities.
Is dried lily of the valley 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 Q101711.