Below are the most common dangerous pasture plants.

🌼 Buttercups

Pretty yellow flowers that can burn a horse’s mouth. Horses avoid them unless grass is scarce.

🌿 Poison Hemlock

Tall plant with white umbrella‑shaped flowers. Extremely dangerous — even a little can be deadly.

🌱 Water Hemlock

Looks similar but grows near wet areas. One of the most poisonous plants in North America.

🌾 Ragwort (Tansy Ragwort)

Bright yellow flowers. Damages the liver, especially dangerous in hay.

🍁 Red Maple Leaves

Wilted or fallen leaves can poison horses. Fresh leaves are less harmful but still unsafe.

🌸 Nightshade Plants

Includes deadly nightshade, horse nettle, bittersweet. Causes colic, confusion, and weakness.

🌾 Johnson Grass / Sorghum

Common in Louisiana. Can release cyanide when stressed by drought or frost.

🌿 Bracken Fern

Grows in shady areas. Causes nerve damage if eaten over time.

🌱 Horsetail (Scouring Rush)

Looks like a green, jointed straw. Can cause weakness and weight loss.

🌼 St. John’s Wort

Causes sunburn‑like skin reactions in horses.

🌿 Foxglove

Tall spikes with bell‑shaped flowers. Affects the heart — very dangerous.

🌱 Larkspur

Purple flowers, common in western states. Can cause sudden weakness and collapse.

🌾 Sudan Grass

Like Johnson grass, can cause cyanide poisoning.

🌿 Wild Cherry Leaves

Wilted leaves release cyanide. Often dangerous after storms or broken branches.

🌱 Pokeweed

Large plant with purple berries. Toxic to horses and people.

🌿 Jimsonweed (Datura)

Spiky seed pods and trumpet flowers. Causes hallucinations, colic, and tremors.

🌲 Yew

One of the most poisonous plants to horses. Even a few leaves can stop the heart.

🌼 Tansy

A yellow flowering plant that can damage a horse’s liver over time.

🌺 Rhododendron

Beautiful bushes, but very dangerous. Causes drooling, colic, and weakness.

🌰 Acorns

From oak trees. Too many can cause colic and kidney problems.

🌿 Henbane

A wild plant with pale flowers. Can cause tremors and stomach pain.

🌱 Horsetail

Looks like a green, jointed straw. Can cause weakness and weight loss.

🌳 Laburnum

A tree with long yellow flower clusters. All parts are poisonous.

🍃 Laurel

Evergreen shrub with shiny leaves. Can cause colic, drooling, and trouble breathing.