Native Plants

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Tuesday - April 22, 2014

From: Comfort, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Native Plants Toxic to Dogs?
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

Are society garlic, Salvia greggii, black escarpment cherries, and wine cup wildflowers toxic to dogs?

ANSWER:

Thanks for writing to Mr. Smarty Plants. Before I answer your question about which plants are toxic to dogs, here are a few words about the plants. Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) is not a native plant, but most lists of toxic plants do include both native and non-natives. It is a perennial plant from South Africa and is quite heat and drought tolerant.

Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a great native shrub that is a popular landscape plant in the Southwest. It forms a mounding shrub with red, pink, purple, orange or white blooms from spring to frost.

Escarpment black cherry (Prunus serotina var. eximia) is a native Central Texas tree that can be found growing in calcareous soils among Ashe juniper, escarpment live oak, honey mesquite and post oak. It has showy spring panicles of white flowers which are followed in summer by dark red-purple black, edible fruits.

Wine cup (Callirhoe digitata) is a native perennial with red-violet cup-like blooms from spring through summer. It is drought tolerant and ideal for sunny, grassy slopes that are rocky and dry.

The only plant from your request that I found on the ASPA list of Toxic and Non-toxic plants to Dogs was a generic reference to Prunus species (cherry). So watch out for the stems, leaves and seeds of your escarpment black cherry that probably contain cyanide. This is toxic to humans, dogs, cats and horses if eaten. If you suspect that you dog is exhibiting unusual side effects from consuming any plant take them to the veterinarian immediately.

From the Image Gallery

Autumn sage
Salvia greggii

Winecup
Callirhoe digitata

Escarpment black cherry
Prunus serotina var. eximia