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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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.
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Thursday - June 04, 2009
From: Indianapolis, IN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Is purple grass poisonous if eaten by a dog?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Is purple grass poisonous if eaten by a dog?ANSWER:
Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific than just "purple grass". In our Native Plant Database Mr. Smarty Plants found 6 different grasses that had a common name that included the word "purple".Andropogon glaucopsis (purple bluestem)
Aristida purpurea (purple threeawn)
Calamagrostis purpurascens (purple reedgrass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass)
Tridens flavus (purpletop tridens)
Triplasis purpurea (purple sandgrass)
Then there are non-native ornamental purple grasses, for example, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' (Purple Fountain Grass) and there are probaby more non-native ornamental purple grasses.
If your purple grass happens to be one of the 7 species above, then I can tell you that it doesn't appear in any of the following toxic plant databases:
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock
University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants
Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System
ASPCA list of Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for Dogs
If one of the 7 species above is not the grass your dog has eaten, then you can google "purple grass" to see if you can find another species that it might be. If you find one, you can check for its scientific name in the toxic plant databases listed above.
More Poisonous Plants Questions
Is any part of flowering peach (Prunus persica) toxic to dogs
April 26, 2009 - I know that peach pits and wilting leaves are poisonous to dogs, but can you tell me if any part of the Red Flowering Peach Tree (no fruit) is toxic?
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Fruit and nut trees safe for horses.
May 11, 2015 - My husband and I just moved to Elgin. We have always wanted to grow fruit/nut baring trees but didn't take in to consideration that horses might eat them. We have never had land or horses before, s...
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Jimsonweed and its toxic nature
June 21, 2011 - I purchased a Jimson weed plant at a local plant sale at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center this spring and was quite surprised at how quickly & large it grew. After the first round of flowers fa...
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Are Chilean Mesquite pods poisonous to dogs?
July 12, 2010 - Are chilean Mesquite tree pods poisonous to dogs?
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Identification of shrub/small tree with small purple fruit
July 31, 2013 - Hi! I have a tree/bush that has come up on its own in the backyard. This year it set what looks like small purple plums. Is there any chance that they might be poisonous?
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