Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Toxic

Is Privet Poisonous to Alpacas?

Privet (Ligustrum 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 — privet is toxic to alpacas.

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

Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Privet (Ligustrum spp.). Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Toxic
Scientific name
Ligustrum spp.
Family
Oleaceae
Plant type
Shrub
Toxic parts
Leaves and berries
Toxic compound
Glycosides (ligustrin) and saponins

Why it matters

Common hedge plant. Occasional nibbles are usually tolerated but avoid hedges as a forage source.

Signs of privet poisoning in alpacas

  • Drooling
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Colic or abdominal discomfort
  • Incoordination in large amounts

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 privet

  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

A privet is a flowering plant in the genus Ligustrum. The genus contains about 50 species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs or trees, with a native distribution from Europe to tropical and subtropical Asia, and with one species each native to Australia and north Africa. Some species have become widely naturalized or invasive where introduced. Privet was originally the name for the European semi-evergreen shrub Ligustrum vulgare, and later also for the more reliably evergreen Ligustrum ovalifolium and its hybrid Ligustrum × ibolium used extensively for privacy hedging, though now the name is applied to all members of the genus. The generic name was applied by Pliny the Elder to L. vulgare. It is often suggested that the name privet is related to private, but the Oxford English Dictionary states that there is no evidence to support this.From Wikipedia — “Privet”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 854,640 recorded observations of Ligustrum L. worldwide, including 66,027 in the United States. It belongs to the Oleaceae family, together with Ash, Forsythia, Lilac. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is privet poisonous to alpacas?
Yes. Yes — privet is toxic to alpacas. Common hedge plant. Occasional nibbles are usually tolerated but avoid hedges as a forage source.
What part of privet is toxic to alpacas?
Leaves and berries.
What are the symptoms of privet poisoning?
Drooling, loss of appetite, diarrhea, colic or abdominal discomfort and incoordination in large amounts.
Is dried privet 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 Q753099.