Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

You can search for native plant possibilities by using the COMBINATION SEARCH in our Native Plant Database and choosing Kentucky from Select State or Province, 'Herb' from Habit (general appearance) and, under Bloom characteristics, choosing 'March' and 'April' for Time and 'Purple', 'Violet', 'Blue' and 'Pink' under Color.

Here are some potential matches:

Collinsia verna (Spring blue eyed mary) and here are more photos.

Cynoglossum virginianum (Wild comfrey) and here are more photos.

Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf sage)

Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata (Lance selfheal)

Scutellaria parvula (Small scullcap) and here are more photos.

Veronica serpyllifolia (Thymeleaf speedwell) and here are more photos.

Here are some possibilities for non-native, introduced plants:

Lamium amplexicaule (henbit) is native to Europe but is commonly found in turf over all of North America.

Lamium purpureum (Purple deadnettle) is also an introduced species that occurs over most of North America.

Veronica persica (Persian speedwell) is another introduced species that can be found all over North America.

Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) is yet another introduced species that occurs over all of North America.

If none of these is your plant (or you didn't find it by doing the COMBINATION SEARCH), please visit our Plant Identification page to find resources for plant identifications where you can submit your photos.

Here are databases that you can use to check on toxicity of plants to horses and other animals:

ASPCA's Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List - Horses  [Note:  The first list is for plants toxic to horses and the second list is for plants non-toxic to horses.]

Horse Nutrition: Poisonous Plants from Ohio State University Extension Service

10 Most Poisonous Plants for Horses from Equisearch

Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants from the Universtiy of Pennsylvania

Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock

Toxic Plants of Texas

Poisonous Plants of North Carolina

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

Of the plants listed above the only one that appears in several of the databases is Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy).  Here is the file from Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System.

Another species of Cynoglossom—Cynoglossum officinale (hound's tongue)—appears in at least two of the databases, but it does not resemble the plants you describe.

Finally, if you were trying to become a member of the Wildflower Center and have not yet received confirmation, please go to the Contact Us page to make inquiries.