Welcome to another weekly edition of the a-z of plants horses should always avoid. Today’s plant is pretty common where it grows, but also quite colorful & easy on the eyes. Lantana has sweet, innocent little flowers & looks great in the garden, but horses beware.
A Little About Lantana
Lantana camara is also called Red Sage & Shrub Verbena. This is a small perennial shrub with spiny stems. Leaves are toothed, fragrant when crushed & grow opposite or whirled. Flowers are white/ pink/ yellow/ orange/ red, tiny, have four petals & grow in flat clusters. Fruit is fleshy & green, then matures to blue/ black.
How Dangerous Is It?
For all of its common appearance, this plant is unpalatable & really only a concern during drought conditions. However due to its high toxicity & common appearance, it’s important for horse owners to recognize this plant.
The leaves & unripe berries of this plant are toxic & can be fatal to equines. Leaves can irritate skin on contact.
What To Look For
You know your animal the best, so you should know when something is amiss. Lantana toxicity symptoms include irritation & swelling of mouth & throat, gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing & skin irritation.
Learn More
Be sure to check out the Lantana page to learn more about the plant & while you are at it why not check out more toxic plants?
*It should be noted that we’re not veterinarians. This information is written specifically for horses & should be used for reference purposes only. If you think your horse has eaten something toxic call your vet right away.
I see this plant all over where we live and I believe it is one of the paddocks one horse is always in at night. I had no idea that it was toxic to horses so we will be on the lookout for it.
Thanks for the heads up on this one.
Linda