# Open brousing and toxic plants



## StaceyC (May 13, 2013)

I have been considering fencing a large area of woods and scrub area for our goats. However, I'm concerned about toxic plants in there that I can't identify. It's all natural growth, nothing has been planted there. A lot of weeds and bushes. How do I go about making sure the plants are ok for the g


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

Check poisonous plants lists and see if you have any. That's what I had to do. Some plants I had to look up because I didn't know what they were...good thing I did, cuz I discovered I had some growing on my property. Here's a good list: http://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

Maybe I am miss reading things but if you don't know the name of the plant how do you find out if its bad for the goats. I got a lot of bushes around my property that I have no idea what they are so how do I look them up.


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## StaceyC (May 13, 2013)

Yes, my issue is that I don't know what they are and have been unable to identify them. What reference did you use to look them up?


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

I did it two ways. First, I took a picture of the plant/bush/tree in question, then posted it on a forum for plant identification, to get an exact i.d. Then I looked to see if it is listed on the toxic plant list.

The other way is when I didn't get a response to the plant i.d. request, I started doing a google search on the plants that are toxic. Clicked on google images, and compared.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

this is the one I am most concerned with and have had no luck finding out what it is.


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

Ok, gimme a few and I'm sure I'll have an answer  EDIT to ask...what state and/or plant hardiness zone do you live in? That helps narrow it down to what plant species are in your area


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

I think it's a type of dogwood, but I'm waiting on confirmation. If so, it's safe.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

I live in New Hampshire not sure of the zone tho.


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

I did get confirmation that it is a type of Dogwood. Here is the reply I got when I posted on the forum:

"One of the shrubby dogwoods with a lot of leaf spot!

Cornus sp. - one like Cornus racemosa or Cornus amomum. You can narrow it down when you see what color those green fruit turn (white, or blue).

All of them are good insect attractors to the blooms, and high wildlife value for the fruits. Each is a host plant for one or another of the caterpillars which transmogrify into fluttering fauna - and yet they still offer decent ranges of fall color and stand up to all the vagaries of weather we get here in the eastern US."


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

From what I've researched, you have 4 species of Dogwood in our state. Here's a reference (that may help in the future...lists native trees and shrubs in your state http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000427_Rep449.pdf) They are as follows:

1: Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
2: Cornus racemosa (northern swamp dogwood, gray dogwood or panicle dogwood)
3: Cornus sericea (red osier dogwood)
4: Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood)

Regardless of which one, Dogwood is ok for goats. Mine eat dogwood all the time here...we have #1, Flowering dogwood. Your best bet to pinpoint the species is to wait and see what color those green berries turn, and see what the flowers look like.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

That looks like the stuff we have growing all over our place. The goats eat it fine, though it is not their favorite.


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