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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

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Saturday - October 03, 2009

From: Gloucester, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are leatherleaf viburnum or Carolina Sapphire toxic to horses?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Are Leather-leaf Viburnum or Carolina Saphire toxic to equine? I would like to plant them near the fence line.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants found neither Cupressus arizonica var. glabra (Carolina Sapphire), a cultivar of Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress) that was developed at Clemson University, nor Viburnum rhytidophyllum (leatherleaf viburnum), a native of China, listed in any of the toxic plant databases listed below:

Poisonous Plants of North Carolina

Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock

Toxic Plants of Texas 

University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

Toxic Plants: Horses from the ASPCA

This doesn't guarantee that the plants are not toxic to horses, but it is a pretty good indication that they are safe.

As an alternative for the non-native leatherleaf viburnum from China, Mr. Smarty Plants would like to suggest several species of viburnum that are native to Virginia. Here are several recommendations:

Viburnum acerifolium (mapleleaf viburnum)

Viburnum dentatum (southern arrowwood)

Viburnum nudum (possumhaw)

Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw)

Viburnum rufidulum (rusty blackhaw)


Viburnum acerifolium

Viburnum dentatum

Viburnum nudum

Viburnum prunifolium

Viburnum rufidulum

 

 

 

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