Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Caution

Can Alpacas Eat Sweet Clover (moldy)?

Sweet Clover (moldy) (Melilotus spp.) — a legume. 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.

Sweet Clover (moldy) (Melilotus spp.)
Sweet Clover (moldy) (Melilotus spp.). Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Caution
Scientific name
Melilotus spp.
Family
Fabaceae
Plant type
Legume
Also known as
Sweet Clover, sweetclover
Toxic parts
Moldy hay or silage only
Toxic compound
Dicoumarol (anticoagulant formed by molds)

Why it matters

Fresh or well-cured sweet clover is a good forage. Damp, moldy sweet clover hay can cause fatal bleeding.

Signs of sweet clover (moldy) poisoning in alpacas

  • Swellings from bleeding under the skin
  • Nosebleeds, bloody feces
  • Lameness from joint bleeding
  • Death after surgery or shearing cuts

If your alpaca ate a lot of sweet clover (moldy)

  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

Melilotus, known as melilot or sweet clover is a genus of legumes in the family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. The genus is closely related to Trifolium (clovers). Several species are common grassland plants and weeds of cultivated ground, and some species are now found worldwide as naturalised plants.From Wikipedia — “Melilotus”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 661,825 recorded observations of Melilotus Mill. worldwide, including 87,511 in the United States. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, together with Rosary Pea, Black Locust, Coffee Senna & Sicklepod, Kentucky Coffeetree, Laburnum. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Is sweet clover (moldy) poisonous to alpacas?
It can be. Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation. Fresh or well-cured sweet clover is a good forage. Damp, moldy sweet clover hay can cause fatal bleeding.
What part of sweet clover (moldy) is toxic to alpacas?
Moldy hay or silage only.
What are the symptoms of sweet clover (moldy) poisoning?
Swellings from bleeding under the skin, nosebleeds, bloody feces, lameness from joint bleeding and death after surgery or shearing cuts.
Is dried sweet clover (moldy) 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 Q161142.