Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_43.gif)
Saturday - June 07, 2014
From: San Marcos, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification, Poisonous Plants
Title: Plant ID from San Marcos TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
My dogs love to eat the leaves of a certain little orange wildflower. It might be Wedelia or Texas creeping oxeye. Have you ever heard of this?ANSWER:
It turns out that both "wedelia" and "Texas creeping-oxeye" are common names for the same plant, as you will learn when you follow this link, Wedelia texana (Zexmenia) to our webpage on it. It is a small shrub in the 1-3 ft. category and not a little wildflower. We went to our Native Plant Database and, using the Combination Search, looked for Texas, "herbs" under Habit, and "orange" under Color, and got 14 results of which only 6 looked remotely like your description and most of the flowers looked yellow to us:
Castilleja indivisa (Entireleaf indian paintbrush)
Castilleja purpurea var. lindheimeri (Lindheimer's paintbrush)
Krigia caespitosa (Weedy dwarfdandelion)
Oenothera triloba (Stemless evening-primrose)
Oxalis stricta (Common yellow oxalis)
Viola pubescens (Downy yellow violet)
That's as close as we can come, if you are asking if we ever heard of this flower. If you are asking if this is a toxic plant for dogs, we suggest you go to this website, ASPCA List of Toxic and Poisonous Plants for Dogs, and search, by scientific names, for whatever plant you think is might be. If you are asking if we ever heard of dogs eating flowers, sure, we have, but if your dogs are not sick yet, we wouldn't be too worried.
From the Image Gallery
More Poisonous Plants Questions
Urushiol Oil Persistance?
September 09, 2015 - I'm trekking into poison ivy infested areas for work every other day. I make sure to wear long pants, long sleeves, boots, and long socks over my pants. I walk into my office to drop off supplies and...
view the full question and answer
Is non-native Ixora poisonous to horses?
June 26, 2013 - My horse was eating an ixora bush at a park in south florida. Is the Ixora shrub poisonous to horses?
view the full question and answer
Dog Friendly Privacy Hedge for Long Island
April 14, 2013 - Can you please advise me of some plants for a privacy hedge that are non-toxic to dogs and that would thrive on Long Island, NY? I am looking for a hedge to grow to about 6-8 ft.
view the full question and answer
Trimming non-native sago from Fresno CA
September 10, 2012 - I have a sago plant, fronds are hanging over into street, can the fronds themselves be trimmed back without removing the whole frond?
view the full question and answer
Are black walnut and sugar maple poisonous to alpacas
June 09, 2008 - I have alpacas and wonder if black walnut or sugar maple are poisonous to them.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |