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Wednesday - May 06, 2009
From: McAlpin, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Are Black Olive trees safe to have in pastures in Florida
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
I am trying to find out if Black Olive trees will be safe to have in our yard and/or pastures. We raise cattle, goats and horses. We need to find some good shade trees that are safe for our animals as well as having low water requirements..our soil is clay and sand mostly.ANSWER:
Since you live in Florida, Mr. Smarty Plants is assuming that the the Black Olive you are referring to is Bucida buceras (gregorywood) . See images. Some consider it a native to the US, but others do not. It is a 40 to 50-foot evergreen tree with a smooth trunk that supports strong, wind resistant branches.
As to the question of toxicity, I've listed several toxic plant databases below. You can check for Black Olive on these lists. Please note that the absence of Black Olive from these lists does not guarantee that it is non-toxic to horses, but not finding it on the lists makes it less likely to be toxic. To search the lists, I recommend using the scientific name (Bucida buceras) since those names are generally standard, whereas the common names often vary in spelling and usage.
Universtiy of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants Database
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Cornell University's Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animals
Additionally, here are databases that are specific for poisonous plants to horses.
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