Native Plants

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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Friday - November 21, 2008

From: CHARLESTON, SC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia sp.) toxic to horses?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Are crepe myrtle trees toxic to horses ?

ANSWER:

The crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.) is native to Asia, and as such, is not really in our area of expertise. Due to the large volume of questions we receive we generally limit our answers to questions dealing with North American native species. However, I can steer you to sources that can answer your question. There are several toxic plant databases listed below. You can check for crape myrtle on these lists. Please note that the absence of Lagerstroemia sp. 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 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

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

Texas Toxic Plant Database

Additionally, here are databases that are specific for poisonous plants to horses.

Equisearch.com

Trail Blazer magazine

ASPCA