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?

Share

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 Trees Questions

Neighbor's Arizona ash roots in Houston
September 30, 2009 - There is a huge Arizona Ash tree in my neighbor's yard. Its trunk is about 27 feet away from the foundation of my house and its foliage reaches my roof. I am planning to dig a trench on my side of t...
view the full question and answer

Live oaks lifting up sidewalks in Palm Coast FL
December 12, 2013 - My live oak trees roots are lifting up my side walks. Can I cut just the roots that are causing the problem without hurting the trees? Thank you.
view the full question and answer

What are the native fruit-bearing plants in North America?
February 16, 2010 - What are the native fruit-bearing plants in North America?
view the full question and answer

Texas madrone trimmings for a wedding
July 26, 2011 - Looking for Texas madrone tree trimmings needed for a special wedding.
view the full question and answer

Could hickory leaves be used as seasoning from Waynesboro VA
September 17, 2011 - I have a hickory tree. If I pull a leaf off and rip it then smell, there is a strong wonderful scent of hickory much like when I rip a mint leaf there is a strong smell of mint. So my question is, can...
view the full question and answer

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