Common Camas vs Death Camas - Ask Extension
Hello! I’m not sure who to ask but is common camas (blue/purple camas) and their seed/seed pods poisonous to horses? I know death camas is poisonous...
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Common Camas vs Death Camas #781093
Asked January 31, 2022, 4:08 PM EST
Hello! I’m not sure who to ask but is common camas (blue/purple camas) and their seed/seed pods poisonous to horses? I know death camas is poisonous but can’t really find anything about common camas. It grows in a section of our hay field and is hard to get rid of, the guy who harvests our hay says it isn’t poisonous to horses and they won’t eat it especially once dried but I would like to make sure. Thank you so much!
Clackamas County Oregon
Expert Response
Good question, Ashley. There is not a lot of information out there about common camas (Camassia quamash) because it is not known to be harmful to livestock. It does not contain the same toxic alkaloid as Death camas (Zigadenus venenosus). and common camas is not listed in any of our resources as a plant poisonous for livestock.
Horses tend to avoid common camas, grazing around them, though goats, sheep and deer seem to happily eat the leaves in the spring. We know that common camas gets cut and dried in some valley hay, but we haven't learned of any major concerns with that either.
Melissa
Horses tend to avoid common camas, grazing around them, though goats, sheep and deer seem to happily eat the leaves in the spring. We know that common camas gets cut and dried in some valley hay, but we haven't learned of any major concerns with that either.
Melissa
