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
2 ratings

Wednesday - June 26, 2013

From: West Palm Beach, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Is non-native Ixora poisonous to horses?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

My horse was eating an ixora bush at a park in south florida. Is the Ixora shrub poisonous to horses?

ANSWER:

No species of Ixora is listed on the Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List – Horses from the ASPCA.  The ASPCA also lists both Ixora javanica and Ixora coccinea as "non-toxic" to cats or dogs.  It probably doesn't occur on the ASPCA list for horses as "non-toxic" because it generally is a non-native ornamental that wouldn't be encountered by horses.  I think your horse will be fine.  Maybe the Ixora plant didn't fare so well, though.

  

 

More Poisonous Plants Questions

Are Cleveland Pear trees in Georgia toxic to horses and/ or dogs?
June 02, 2009 - Are flowering Cleveland Pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) poisonous to horses and/or dogs? I have read that the prunus species are, does that include pear trees? Please help!
view the full question and answer

Wild plums for jelly from Conroe TX
December 18, 2012 - Do wild plum trees grow in my area? I want to get some next summer to make plum jelly.
view the full question and answer

Are globe mallows (Sphaeralcea spp.) harmful to dogs
May 20, 2010 - My dogs eat the wild globe mallow plants in my yard. Could that be harmful to them?
view the full question and answer

Living fence line from Thomasville GA
November 04, 2012 - I would like to create a natural fence line on my property in South Georgia. They need to be pretty dense and horse, cow, goat friendly, growing to a height of about 4ft, preferably quickly! Do you ...
view the full question and answer

Non-toxic evergreen shrub around duck pen
September 10, 2015 - I live in Zone 6a, and am looking for a non-toxic evergreen shrub to use around our fence that pens in our ducks. It doesn't have to be native to our particular state. I have 74 feet of fence on th...
view the full question and answer

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