| Plant | Scientific name | Status | Toxic parts | Toxin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel's Trumpet | Brugmansia spp. | Deadly | All parts | Tropane alkaloids (scopolamine, atropine) |
| Autumn Crocus | Colchicum autumnale | Deadly | All parts, including corms | Colchicine |
| Azalea | Rhododendron spp. (azaleas) | Deadly | Leaves, flowers and nectar | Grayanotoxins |
| Canada Yew | Taxus canadensis | Deadly | Needles, bark and seeds | Taxine alkaloids |
| Castor Bean | Ricinus communis | Deadly | Seeds (chewed), less so leaves | Ricin (protein toxin) |
| Cherry Laurel | Prunus laurocerasus | Deadly | Leaves, seeds; crushed or wilted leaves release cyanide | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Chokecherry | Prunus virginiana | Deadly | Leaves (wilted especially), twigs, seeds | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Death Camas | Toxicoscordion venenosum | Deadly | Whole plant, especially bulbs | Steroidal alkaloids (zygacine) |
| English Yew | Taxus baccata | Deadly | All parts except the fleshy red aril; needles and seeds are the most toxic, and clippings stay toxic when dried | Taxine alkaloids (block cardiac sodium and calcium channels) |
| Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea | Deadly | All parts, fresh or dried | Cardiac glycosides (digitoxin) |
| Japanese Pieris | Pieris japonica | Deadly | Leaves and flowers | Grayanotoxins |
| Japanese Yew | Taxus cuspidata | Deadly | Needles, bark and seeds (fresh or dried) | Taxine alkaloids |
| Leucothoe | Leucothoe spp. | Deadly | Leaves and flowers | Grayanotoxins |
| Lily of the Valley | Convallaria majalis | Deadly | All parts, including water in a vase | Cardiac glycosides (convallatoxin) |
| Monkshood | Aconitum spp. | Deadly | All parts, especially roots | Aconitine and related alkaloids |
| Mountain Laurel | Kalmia latifolia | Deadly | Leaves, twigs, flowers | Grayanotoxins |
| Oleander | Nerium oleander | Deadly | All parts, fresh or dried; leaves are very potent | Cardiac glycosides (oleandrin) |
| Pacific Yew | Taxus brevifolia | Deadly | Needles, bark and seeds | Taxine alkaloids |
| Poison Hemlock | Conium maculatum | Deadly | All parts, fresh or dried; most toxic before seed set | Coniine and related piperidine alkaloids |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron spp. | Deadly | Leaves, flowers, nectar; dried leaves remain toxic | Grayanotoxins |
| Rosary Pea | Abrus precatorius | Deadly | Seeds (when chewed) | Abrin |
| Sago Palm | Cycas revoluta | Deadly | All parts; seeds most toxic | Cycasin, BMAA |
| Sheep Laurel | Kalmia angustifolia | Deadly | Leaves and flowers | Grayanotoxins |
| Tobacco | Nicotiana tabacum | Deadly | Leaves (fresh or dried) | Nicotine and anabasine |
| Water Hemlock | Cicuta maculata | Deadly | Whole plant, most concentrated in the tuberous roots; one root can kill | Cicutoxin (convulsant) |
| Western Water Hemlock | Cicuta douglasii | Deadly | Roots and lower stems especially | Cicutoxin |
| Wild Black Cherry | Prunus serotina | Deadly | Leaves (especially wilted after storms or frost), bark, twigs and seed kernels | Cyanogenic glycosides (prunasin → hydrogen cyanide) |
| Yellow Oleander | Cascabela thevetia | Deadly | All parts, especially seeds | Cardiac glycosides (thevetins) |
| Arrowgrass | Triglochin maritima | Toxic | Leaves, especially when stressed | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Avocado | Persea americana | Toxic | Leaves, bark, fruit skin and pit (Guatemalan varieties such as Hass are most toxic) | Persin |
| Bittersweet Nightshade | Solanum dulcamara | Toxic | Leaves and unripe berries | Solanine and related glycoalkaloids |
| Black Locust | Robinia pseudoacacia | Toxic | Bark, sprouts, seeds and leaves | Robin and phasin (lectins) |
| Black Nightshade | Solanum nigrum | Toxic | Leaves and green (unripe) berries | Glycoalkaloids (solanine), nitrates |
| Bloodroot | Sanguinaria canadensis | Toxic | Rhizome especially | Sanguinarine and other alkaloids |
| Boxwood | Buxus sempervirens | Toxic | Leaves and twigs | Steroidal alkaloids (cyclobuxine) |
| Bracken Fern | Pteridium aquilinum | Toxic | Fronds and rhizomes; toxicity is cumulative over weeks | Ptaquiloside (carcinogenic, marrow-suppressing) and thiaminase |
| Buckeye & Horse Chestnut | Aesculus spp. | Toxic | Nuts, young shoots, leaves and bark | Aesculin and saponins |
| Burning Bush & Spindle | Euonymus spp. | Toxic | Leaves, bark and fruit | Cardiac glycosides and alkaloids |
| Cherry Tree (sweet & sour cherry) | Prunus avium | Toxic | Wilted leaves, twigs, bark and pits | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Chinaberry | Melia azedarach | Toxic | Ripe berries especially; bark and leaves | Meliatoxins (limonoids) |
| Clematis | Clematis spp. | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Protoanemonin |
| Cocklebur | Xanthium strumarium | Toxic | Seeds and seedlings at the two-leaf (cotyledon) stage | Carboxyatractyloside |
| Coffee Senna & Sicklepod | Senna occidentalis / S. obtusifolia | Toxic | Seeds (especially in grain/hay) and leaves | Anthraquinones and myotoxins |
| Common Groundsel | Senecio vulgaris | Toxic | Whole plant, fresh or in hay | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| Daffodil | Narcissus spp. | Toxic | Bulbs most toxic; leaves and flowers too | Lycorine and other alkaloids |
| Daphne | Daphne spp. | Toxic | Bark, berries and leaves | Daphnin, mezerein |
| Deadly Nightshade | Atropa belladonna | Toxic | All parts, berries and roots especially | Tropane alkaloids |
| Dieffenbachia | Dieffenbachia spp. | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals |
| Dogbane | Apocynum cannabinum | Toxic | Leaves and stems, fresh or in hay | Cardiac glycosides |
| Dutchman's Breeches | Dicentra cucullaria | Toxic | Whole plant | Isoquinoline alkaloids |
| Elderberry | Sambucus spp. | Toxic | Leaves, stems, bark, roots and unripe berries | Cyanogenic glycosides (sambunigrin) |
| English Ivy | Hedera helix | Toxic | Leaves and berries | Triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin) |
| False Hellebore | Veratrum spp. | Toxic | Whole plant | Steroidal alkaloids (cyclopamine, jervine) |
| Fiddleneck | Amsinckia spp. | Toxic | Leaves and seeds (seeds contaminate grain) | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| Garlic | Allium sativum | Toxic | Cloves and leaves | Organosulfur compounds |
| Greasewood | Sarcobatus vermiculatus | Toxic | Leaves and twigs | Soluble oxalates |
| Halogeton | Halogeton glomeratus | Toxic | Whole plant | Soluble oxalates |
| Hellebore (Christmas Rose) | Helleborus spp. | Toxic | All parts | Bufadienolides and protoanemonin |
| Holly | Ilex spp. | Toxic | Berries and leaves | Saponins, methylxanthines |
| Horse Nettle | Solanum carolinense | Toxic | Leaves and berries (yellow fruit) | Glycoalkaloids |
| Houndstongue | Cynoglossum officinale | Toxic | Whole plant, especially in hay | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| Hyacinth | Hyacinthus orientalis | Toxic | Bulbs especially | Alkaloids, oxalate crystals |
| Hydrangea | Hydrangea spp. | Toxic | Leaves and buds | Cyanogenic glycosides (hydrangin) |
| Iris | Iris spp. | Toxic | Rhizomes and leaves | Pentacyclic terpenoids, irisin |
| Jimsonweed | Datura stramonium | Toxic | All parts, especially seeds | Tropane alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine) |
| Johnsongrass | Sorghum halepense | Toxic | Young regrowth, frosted, wilted or drought-stressed plants | Cyanogenic glycoside (dhurrin) and nitrates |
| Kalanchoe | Kalanchoe spp. | Toxic | All parts | Bufadienolide cardiac glycosides |
| Kentucky Coffeetree | Gymnocladus dioicus | Toxic | Seeds, pods and leaves | Cytisine |
| Laburnum | Laburnum anagyroides | Toxic | All parts, especially seeds and pods | Cytisine |
| Lantana | Lantana camara | Toxic | Leaves and green berries | Pentacyclic triterpenes (lantadenes) |
| Larkspur | Delphinium spp. | Toxic | Whole plant; young growth and seed pods most toxic | Diterpenoid alkaloids (methyllycaconitine) |
| Locoweed | Astragalus & Oxytropis spp. | Toxic | Whole plant; animals may become 'addicted' | Swainsonine (indolizidine alkaloid) |
| Lupine | Lupinus spp. | Toxic | Leaves, pods and especially seeds | Quinolizidine alkaloids (anagyrine) |
| Mayapple | Podophyllum peltatum | Toxic | Roots, leaves and unripe fruit | Podophyllotoxin |
| Milkweed | Asclepias spp. | Toxic | Leaves and stems; narrow-leaved species most toxic; remains toxic in hay | Cardenolides (cardiac glycosides) |
| Mistletoe | Phoradendron spp. / Viscum album | Toxic | Leaves, stems, berries | Lectins and phoratoxins |
| Nandina | Nandina domestica | Toxic | Leaves and berries | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Onion | Allium cepa | Toxic | Bulbs and tops, raw or cooked | N-propyl disulfide and other organosulfur compounds |
| Peace Lily | Spathiphyllum spp. | Toxic | Leaves and flowers | Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals |
| Peach & Nectarine Tree (leaves, pits) | Prunus persica | Toxic | Wilted leaves, twigs, bark and the kernel inside pits | Cyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin) |
| Philodendron | Philodendron spp. | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals |
| Plum & Apricot Tree (leaves, pits) | Prunus domestica | Toxic | Wilted leaves, twigs and kernels | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Pokeweed | Phytolacca americana | Toxic | Roots most toxic; leaves and berries | Saponins (phytolaccatoxin) and lectins |
| Potato (plant, sprouts, green tubers) | Solanum tuberosum | Toxic | Foliage, sprouts, peel of green or sprouted tubers | Solanine and chaconine |
| Pothos | Epipremnum aureum | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals |
| Privet | Ligustrum spp. | Toxic | Leaves and berries | Glycosides (ligustrin) and saponins |
| Rattlebox | Crotalaria spp. | Toxic | Seeds and leaves | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (monocrotaline) |
| Rayless Goldenrod | Isocoma pluriflora | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Tremetol |
| Red Maple | Acer rubrum | Toxic | Wilted or dried leaves (fresh leaves are much less dangerous); bark | Gallic acid derivatives causing oxidative red-cell damage |
| Red-tip Photinia | Photinia × fraseri | Toxic | Leaves, especially new red growth and wilted foliage | Cyanogenic glycosides |
| Rhubarb | Rheum rhabarbarum | Toxic | Leaves (stalks less so) | Soluble oxalates, anthraquinones |
| St. John's Wort | Hypericum perforatum | Toxic | Flowering tops; remains active in hay | Hypericin (photodynamic pigment) |
| Tansy Ragwort | Jacobaea vulgaris | Toxic | Whole plant; dried plant in hay is eaten readily and remains toxic | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| Tomato Plant (leaves & vines) | Solanum lycopersicum | Toxic | Leaves, stems and green fruit | Tomatine and solanine |
| Tulip | Tulipa spp. | Toxic | Bulbs especially | Tulipalin A and B |
| Viper's Bugloss | Echium vulgare | Toxic | Whole plant | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| White Snakeroot | Ageratina altissima | Toxic | Leaves and stems | Tremetol |
| Wisteria | Wisteria spp. | Toxic | Seeds and pods especially | Lectin and wisterin glycoside |
| Yellow Jessamine | Gelsemium sempervirens | Toxic | All parts | Gelsemine and related alkaloids |
| Alsike Clover | Trifolium hybridum | Caution | Whole plant in wet seasons | Unknown toxin (possibly fungal) |
| Apple Tree (leaves & branches) | Malus domestica | Caution | Seeds; large amounts of wilted leaves | Small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (seeds) |
| Black Walnut | Juglans nigra | Caution | Hulls (moldy), shavings | Juglone; mycotoxins in moldy hulls |
| Buckwheat | Fagopyrum esculentum | Caution | Green plants and seed hulls | Fagopyrin |
| Burdock | Arctium spp. | Caution | Burs (seed heads) | None significant |
| Buttercup | Ranunculus spp. | Caution | Fresh leaves and flowers | Ranunculin → protoanemonin (blistering irritant) |
| Canada Thistle | Cirsium arvense | Caution | Spiny leaves; can accumulate nitrate | Nitrates (occasionally) |
| Cheatgrass | Bromus tectorum | Caution | Mature, dry seed heads | Mechanical injury |
| Comfrey | Symphytum officinale | Caution | Leaves and roots, especially with repeated feeding | Pyrrolizidine alkaloids |
| Corn Plants & Stalks | Zea mays | Caution | Drought-stressed stalks; grain in quantity | Nitrates; starch overload |
| Crimson Clover | Trifolium incarnatum | Caution | Over-mature heads | Mechanical (hairs form balls in the stomach) |
| Dallisgrass (ergot-infected) | Paspalum dilatatum | Caution | Seed heads infected with Claviceps paspali ergot | Tremorgenic indole-diterpenes (paspalitrems) |
| Foxtail Barley & Foxtail Grasses | Hordeum jubatum / Setaria spp. | Caution | Mature seed heads with barbed awns | Mechanical injury (no toxin) |
| Hairy Vetch | Vicia villosa | Caution | Whole plant (mechanism unclear), seeds | Unknown; causes a systemic granulomatous disease in cattle |
| Horsetail | Equisetum arvense | Caution | Whole plant, especially in hay | Thiaminase, alkaloids |
| Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica | Caution | Berries of some honeysuckle species | Saponins (berries) |
| Juniper & Eastern Red Cedar | Juniperus spp. | Caution | Needles and berries in quantity | Isocupressic acid and essential oils |
| Kochia | Bassia scoparia | Caution | Whole plant in quantity, especially later in the season | Nitrates, oxalates, sulfates, saponins |
| Lamb's Quarters | Chenopodium album | Caution | Leaves and stems in quantity | Nitrates and oxalates |
| Mesquite (pods) | Prosopis spp. | Caution | Pods eaten as a large part of the diet for months | High sugar pods; unknown neurotoxin |
| Morning Glory | Ipomoea spp. | Caution | Seeds (some species) | Ergoline (lysergic acid) alkaloids |
| Oak (leaves & acorns) | Quercus spp. | Caution | Young spring buds and leaves; green acorns in quantity | Hydrolyzable tannins (gallotannins) |
| Perennial Ryegrass | Lolium perenne | Caution | Base of the plant and seed heads in summer/autumn | Lolitrem B (endophyte), ergovaline |
| Poison Ivy | Toxicodendron radicans | Caution | Leaves, stems, roots | Urushiol (affects people, not livestock) |
| Ponderosa Pine | Pinus ponderosa | Caution | Needles, buds and bark | Isocupressic acid (abortifacient) |
| Purslane | Portulaca oleracea | Caution | Leaves and stems in quantity | Soluble oxalates |
| Queen Anne's Lace | Daucus carota | Caution | None significant | None significant (but easily confused) |
| Redroot Pigweed | Amaranthus retroflexus | Caution | Leaves and stems, especially on fertilized ground | Nitrates and oxalates |
| Reed Canarygrass | Phalaris arundinacea | Caution | High-alkaloid varieties | Indole and gramine alkaloids |
| Sensitive Fern | Onoclea sensibilis | Caution | Fronds, especially in hay | Unknown neurotoxin |
| Silver Maple | Acer saccharinum | Caution | Wilted leaves (suspected, less potent than red maple) | Gallic acid derivatives (suspected) |
| Sorghum (forage sorghum) | Sorghum bicolor | Caution | Young, frosted, regrowing or drought-stressed plants | Dhurrin (cyanogenic) and nitrates |
| Stinging Nettle | Urtica dioica | Caution | Fresh plants (stinging hairs) | Histamine, formic acid in hairs |
| Sudangrass | Sorghum × drummondii | Caution | Young regrowth, frost-damaged or stressed plants | Cyanogenic glycosides and nitrates |
| Sweet Clover (moldy) | Melilotus spp. | Caution | Moldy hay or silage only | Dicoumarol (anticoagulant formed by molds) |
| Switchgrass | Panicum virgatum | Caution | Young growth | Steroidal saponins |
| Tall Fescue (endophyte-infected) | Lolium arundinaceum | Caution | Infected seed heads, stems and hay | Ergot alkaloids (ergovaline) from the fungal endophyte Epichloë coenophiala |
| Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Caution | Berries and leaves in quantity | Oxalate crystals |
| Wild Onion & Wild Garlic | Allium canadense / A. vineale | Caution | Leaves and bulbs in large amounts | Organosulfur compounds |
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | Caution | Large amounts | Sesquiterpene lactones, essential oils |
| Yellow Star-thistle | Centaurea solstitialis | Caution | Whole plant over weeks | Repin (sesquiterpene lactone) |
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.