Native Plants

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Sunday - April 26, 2009

From: Maryville, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are dogwood trees poisonous to horses?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Are dogwood trees poisonous to horses?

ANSWER:

None of the Cornus species (Dogwood) are listed in Mr. Smarty Plants' favorite toxic plant databases (Poisonous Plants of North Carolina, Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants, or Texas Toxic Plant Database). Also, none of the dogwoods appear in the following databases dedicated to plants toxic to horses: 10 Most Poisonous Plants for Horses from EquiSearch.com, Poisonous Plants from Trailblazer Magazine, Toxic Plants: Horses from the ASPCA, and Horse Nutrition: Poisonous Plants from Ohio State University. Given the widespread occurrence of dogwoods in planned landscapes as well as in natural settings and the fact that no dogwoods appear on any of the lists of toxic plants, I think we can conclude that your horses will be safe with dogwoods in their pasture.