What is the botanical name of the plant you are referring to as nightshade?
I’m unaware of a variety with thorns.
S. eleagnifolium appears to have thorns?
http://www.library.illinois.edu/vex/toxic/nightsha/nightsh.htm
Somewhat related question–can anyone recommend a book about toxic plants in the pasture? There are a few of them, and I’m unsure which would be best. I’d like something portable so I can walk my fields.
[QUOTE=Simkie;7766567]
S. eleagnifolium appears to have thorns?
http://www.library.illinois.edu/vex/toxic/nightsha/nightsh.htm
Somewhat related question–can anyone recommend a book about toxic plants in the pasture? There are a few of them, and I’m unsure which would be best. I’d like something portable so I can walk my fields.[/QUOTE]
Thanks–haven’t encountered that variety.
[QUOTE=Ghazzu;7766551]
What is the botanical name of the plant you are referring to as nightshade?
I’m unaware of a variety with thorns.[/QUOTE]
Horse nettle has thorns and is in the nightshade family. I don’t have this but I saw it at a farm within 2 hours of my farm - literally covering a field. The owner said they called it “wild tomatoes”…it really looked like cherry tomatoes. I’ve never seen anything like it!
As for the “Barn Owner said there was never a nightshade issue before” – I think that meant – no other horse has ever eaten it and gotten poisoned…not that it wasn’t there.
Solanum carolinense http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_carolinense
Horsenettle
It has what they call “spines” on the stems and undersides of the leaves. Horrid things.
I’ve always had toxic plants like Jimson weed though I’ve tried to get rid of it when I realized it. It still comes back. I’ve got Johnson grass which is also bad. But I’ve always fed generous amounts of hay and my horses were always fat. Now I’m renting my pasture and tell the renters that it’s up to them to monitor the condition on the fence and pasture, part of our agreement. They can weed and fertilize it and they need to feed their horses enough so they are picky enough to reject the bad stuff. Poison plants are going to grow no matter what and that buttercup is the most common.
One of my horses was poisoned by horse nettles which came in some hay when I boarded for a short while. None of the other horses ate the berries but “Mr. I eat anything” apparently did. It was a horrible experience and took us a day to figure out it was more than colic. I am sad to say he was never the same after the poisoning. It changed his personality quite a bit.
I was so happy to get my horses back to our new barn when it was finished. I still blame the BO for not noticing the berries in their hay bins.
Simkie, here is a website for your regions poisonous plants, link on the page to the state publication, good listings with photographs right online.
http://www.mntrailriders.com/GeneralRideInformation/PoisonousPlants.php
