Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

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

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - September 11, 2012

From: RENO, NV
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Poisonous Plants, Vines
Title: Want a vine, non-toxic to dogs, for Reno, NV.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I want a non toxic (to dogs) vine for Reno, NV

ANSWER:

A caveat at the beginning; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is all about native plants, and this will necessarily limit the number of suggestions we are able to make

We are going to do this in two steps: first, we’ll use our Native Plants Database to find vines for Reno, and then we’ll check them out using several toxic plant databases.

To consider plants, lets go to our Native Plant Database,  and scroll down to the Combination Search Box. Select Nevada under State, vine under General Appearance and perennial under Lifespan. Check sun under light requirement, dry under Soil Moisture, and click the Submit combination search button. This gives you a list of two native vines that occur in Washoe County. If you repeat the search, this time using California as the state and leaving the other choices the same, you get a larger list, but only two of the species occur in counties adjacent to Nevada, and may be able to grow in your area.

Here’s a short list of vines that occur in and around Washoe County.

Parthenocissus vitacea (Hiedra creeper)  toxicity

Rubus leucodermis (Whitebark raspberry)  more info

Clematis lasiantha (Pipestem clematis)  toxicity    

Lonicera hispidula (Pink honeysuckle)  toxicity 

Lets look at databases of toxic plants. When you use the databases, it is better to use the scientific names of the plants that you are looking for. You will find three of the listed plants in at least one of the databases. In the case of Clematis and Lonicera, the species name on our list isn't mentioned, but the fact that there are toxic members of the genus is of concern.

California

North Carolina 

Pennsylvania 

So it appears that Rubus leucodermis is the only native vine that is nontoxic and occurs in Washoe County. You may want to get in touch with the Nevada Native Plant Society  or University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for further advice.

 

 

More Vines Questions

Passiflora incarnata 'Alba' cultivar or hybrid from Birmingham AL
January 13, 2014 - Is Passiflora incarnata 'Alba' a cultivar or a hybrid?
view the full question and answer

How to Control Poison Ivy
February 22, 2016 - We have lots of Poison Ivy on a site we are clearing it is adjacent to a pond and children are around this area all the time. We are creating hiking paths. I have a lot of experience but I do not wan...
view the full question and answer

Possibility of using vinegar solutions for weed control
February 29, 2008 - What is your suggestion about the control of weeds - do you consider vinegar solutions environmentally friendly?
view the full question and answer

Vine for planter box in Berkeley CA
September 29, 2012 - I live in Berkeley, CA and want to plant a vine to crawl up a trellis on my deck. It gets sun most of the day. I need to use planter boxes because there is only patio below and would like something ...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification of large hairy vine in Salem, OH
June 19, 2009 - We have large hairy vines that grow up the side of several of the trees on the edge of the woods beside our home. The leaves color resembles that of the poisonous sumac but the leaves shape do not. ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.