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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Monday - February 17, 2014

From: Hockley, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Poisonous Plants, Vines
Title: Is non-native mascagnia macroptera poisonous to animals from Hockley TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Is Mascagmia macroptra (Butterfly Vine) poisonous to animals (horses and dogs)?

ANSWER:

First, please see this Previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer where you will learn it is native to Mexico and therefore not in our Native Plant Database. Because it is not in our database, we will find a couple of other websites to give you some information on it.

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Pima County.

Texas A&M Agrilife Extensioon for Bexar County Yellow Butterfly Vine

We found no information in any of our research on whether this plant was poisonous, but here are some websites you can search in, using the scientific name Mascagnia macroptera.

Poisonous Plants of North Carolina

Cornell University's Plants Poisonous to Livestock

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

University of Illinois' Plants Toxic to Animals

University of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants database

Plants of Texas Rangelands – Toxics

The fact that a plant doesn't appear on a toxic plant database doesn't guarantee that the plant is completely non-toxic.  Have you also checked with your veterinarian?

 

 

 

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