Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Mistletoe Poisonous to Alpacas?

Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp. / Viscum album) — a parasitic plant. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — mistletoe is toxic to alpacas.

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

Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp. / Viscum album)
Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp. / Viscum album). Photo: Stickpen, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Phoradendron spp. / Viscum album
Family
Viscaceae
Plant type
Parasitic plant
Toxic parts
Leaves, stems, berries
Toxic compound
Lectins and phoratoxins

Why it matters

Mostly a holiday-decoration hazard.

Signs of mistletoe poisoning in alpacas

  • Drooling
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Colic or abdominal discomfort

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 mistletoe

  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

Phoradendron is a genus of mistletoe, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas. The center of diversity is the Amazon rainforest. Phoradendron is the largest genus of mistletoe in the Americas, and possibly the largest genus of mistletoes in the world. Traditionally, the genus has been placed in the family Viscaceae, but recent genetic research acknowledged by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group shows this family to be correctly placed within a larger circumscription of the sandalwood family, Santalaceae.From Wikipedia — “Phoradendron”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 108,685 recorded observations of Phoradendron Nutt. worldwide, including 41,666 in the United States. It belongs to the Viscaceae family. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is mistletoe poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — mistletoe is toxic to alpacas. Mostly a holiday-decoration hazard.
What part of mistletoe is toxic to alpacas?
Leaves, stems, berries.
What are the symptoms of mistletoe poisoning?
Drooling, loss of appetite, diarrhea and colic or abdominal discomfort.
Is dried mistletoe 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 Q144322.