Crotalaria Toxic

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Peanut

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
19,957
Location
Bama
Crotalaria - If you have livestock, even chickens, kill this plant every time you see it. Some call it Rattlebox, others Showy Crotalaria. All parts of the plant are toxic to both livestock and humans. It causes liver damage over time. Even the dried plant baled up as hay is toxic. It has yellow blooms and seed pods similar to Peas. I know it grows all over the southeast. I battled this plant for 15 years in a hay field I leased.

The worst part is that it keeps coming back... the seeds are viable for 60 years!

It's an invasive from India and grows over the south central US. As far west as Colorado and north to Maryland.

I found these plants a couple of days ago..

LSU College of Agriculture

Showy crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis) was imported as a nitrogen-fixing legume for tung-oil tree orchards in the Gulf Coast states. It is found in fields and along roadsides from southeast Louisiana into Florida. Showy crotalaria is a significant toxic plant in the region.

The seeds remain viable for up to 60 years in undisturbed soil. The plant may appear following land clearing where trees are removed and the soil disturbed. Horse and livestock owners may not realize the hazard that showy crotalaria poses for their animals.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/...th/horses/horses-poisoned-by-showy-crotalaria
Crotalaria 1 a .JPG
Crotalaria 4  a.JPG
 
Last edited:
It is a pretty plant. Making note, looking it up. Too many prize horses in this area for something like that to get started, as well as all the other livestock that could be affected.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info, @Peanut. I'm always on the lookout for invasive non-natives in general, but especially the toxic ones. It's so hard to battle these things once they get a good foothold. I've been meaning to start a 3-ring binder with tabs for each plant to look for, as well as best methods of elimination. I haven't seen this particular plant yet (I don't believe), but it's likely just a matter of time...
 

Latest posts

Back
Top