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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Thursday - December 06, 2012
From: Arlington, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants, Trees
Title: Cypress poisonous to livestock from Arlington, TN
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Are green giant cypress poisonous to livestock?ANSWER:
Before we could attempt to answer your question, we had to figure out what a green giant cypress is. Turns out the "Green Giant" is a trade name for Thuja standishii x plicata. The little "x" in the scientific name is our first clue that this is a cross or hybridization between two species of the genus Thuja and the family Cupressaceae. Most such crosses fall out of the expertise of Smarty Plants, which is the growth, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they grow naturally. Crossing two plants always complicates knowing what the characteristics of the resulting plant will be. In our Native Plant Database there is Thuja plicata (Western arborvitae); if you follow the plant link you will see it does not mention any poisonous attributes. Neither this website nor that of Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae) mention wildlife browsing these trees, which could indicate the spikiness of the plants discouraged browsing, so the cows might not even want it. However, just to make sure, we investigated the "sandishii" part of the Green Giant hybrid. This website from the US National Arboretum also indicates no poisonous parts of the plant, which originated in the Honshu and Shikoku islands of southern Japan.
If you wish to double check on our information, here is a list of websites listing poisonous plants:
Databases to search (by scientific name) for plants poisonous to animals:
The Merck Veterinary Manual
ASPCA
University of Arkansas
University of Illinois (common names only)
Toxic Plants of Texas
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock
University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants
Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System
FInding the plant listed is a good indication of toxicity. However, not finding the plant listed doesn't guarantee that it is non-toxic, but it increases the probability that it is. It is a good idea to check with your veterinarian.
More Trees Questions
Wispy plant to put behind a waterfall
May 30, 2008 - Needing a 10-20ft wispy ______ to plant behind our waterfall to help block out road noise. We live in Austin.
I've looked at the Mexican weeping bamboo but are there other options?
view the full question and answer
Problems with tuliptree in North Salem IN
September 02, 2009 - I have a tulip tree and it looks like it is dying. The limbs are starting to turn bright blue. Do I have an insect problem or is it from a lightning strike?
view the full question and answer
Will lilacs survive in Houston?
October 26, 2009 - My wife loves the smell of Lilacs (we're originally from Oregon), but we don't see any here in Houston. Is it possible to get lilacs to survive in Southeast Texas?
view the full question and answer
Long Island Barrier Beach Plants
April 22, 2013 - I live on the south shore of Long Island on a barrier beach and am landscaping my property as a result of Sandy damage. I am going with a sand base, and I am looking for suitable trees and shrubs for...
view the full question and answer
When is the appropriate time to prune pecan trees in Hewitt?
September 07, 2008 - Labor Day Weekend my husband decided to trim all the low branches on a big pecan tree in our back yard which I thought should had been done at the first of the year, our temprature is in the mid 90's...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |
