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?

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

Monday - March 25, 2013

From: Lawton, OK
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, Poisonous Plants, Trees
Title: Safety of hyrbrid and non-native trees for dogs and horses from Lawton OK
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Are Arrowwood Viburnum tree, Sargent Crabapple tree & the Washington Hawthorn tree safe for dogs & horses?

ANSWER:

First. we need to determine if the plants you are asking about are native. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center recommends only plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are to be grown; in your case, Comanche County, OK.

Missouri Botanical Garden Sargent Crabapple - native range Japan. There are five members of the Malus (crabapple) genus native to North America, only Malus ioensis (Prairie crabapple) is native to Oklahoma, but this USDA Plant Profile Map does not show it native to southwestern Oklahoma. There are are 16 members of the genus Viburnum native to North America with the name "arrowwood" in the common name; of these, 3 are native to Oklahoma, but none really grow close to southeast Oklahoma. There are several other viburnums not native to North America at all, so we don't know which one you have. Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington hawthorn) is native to North America but not to Oklahoma.

The point of all this is that we are going to give you some websites on which you can search for plants poisonous to dogs and horses, but it is much easier to search on them using the scientific names, as in Malus ioensis (Prairie crabapple).

The lists often are only plants native to North America, but ordinarily if you search on one genus name (malus, viburnum or crataegus) the information on the poisonous plants will be the same for all species of that genus. Here is our list:

ASPCA

University of Arkansas

University of Illinois   

Toxic Plants of Texas 

Poisonous Plants of North Carolina

University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System 

California Poison Action Line 

You should also check with your veterinarian to make sure some locally available plant has not been proved to be poisonous that is not on any of the lists.

 

 

From the Image Gallery


Prairie crabapple
Malus ioensis

Washington hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum

Downy arrowwood
Viburnum rafinesqueanum

More Plant Lists Questions

Vines for a Chicago Pergola in Zone 5
November 28, 2015 - I'm looking for some recommendations of vines for my south-facing pergola. I live in a northwest suburb of Chicago, in Zone 5 with heavy clay soil.
view the full question and answer

Plants for property in Connecticut adjacent to a salt marsh
June 10, 2012 - Hi - I live on property adjacent to a salt marsh. The salt marsh leads out to Long Island Sound. I would like to plant non-invasive native plants of Guilford, Connecticut. I do not know what plants ...
view the full question and answer

Groundcovers for hillside in Northern California
November 19, 2012 - I have read numerous posts on here, but I have not found my exact situation. I live in Northern California. I am looking for some type of ground cover to grow on a hillside. Directly above the hillsid...
view the full question and answer

Blue wildflowers for Massachusetts meadow garden
September 30, 2011 - I am restoring a 1980's era barn in Massachusetts. To celebrate the roll-out of the restored barn, I would like to plant wildflowers in the hayfield next to the barn (aprox. 3 acres). I would like ...
view the full question and answer

Annual Native Plants for Interplanting in Iowa
January 20, 2015 - I'm looking for suggestions for annuals that will flower from seed or from spring plants. I want to use them to fill in the space around newly planted coneflowers and asters that I fear will look spa...
view the full question and answer

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