Are Mimosa Trees ok for a horse pasture?

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Slinkky

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Hi all,

I was wondering if a Mimosa tree is an ok tree to have in the horse pasture?

What are other good pasture trees? I thought oak was good, but people mentioned colic on the acorns. I thought about pecan, but now I know that's a no-no.

What would be a good pasture tree in Texas? we are usually dry (although right now were in the middle of a monsoon!)

thanks for your insite.
 
Checking the Cornell Poisonous Plants website: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/comlist.html

I don't find Pecan or Mimosa trees on the poisonous plant list.

Some famers consider Mimosa trees to be weeds because they can propagate so easily. I personally love those trees. We are trying to grow some from seed from one that is down the road from our house. It has the deepest color in the blooms/feathery flowers that I have ever seen. It is gorgeous.

Oak leaves and acorns are toxic to horses.

Check out the website above for more to avoid (like Cherry trees etc..)

Contact your local County Extension agent for free info on what trees are good for your area and not toxic to wildlife and or livestock. They are bound to have that info there -- and may even have a list of growers in your area -- so the tree stock would be exactly right for you.

JJay
 
I haven't checked the list for mimosa, but remembering the mimosa trees in my yard from my childhood, they have seed pods that might be attractive to a horse. I've seen horses gorge on mesquite beans that are not toxic, but in quantity can cause an impaction. Often depends on how much grass the horses have access to, if they are picking at the trees and if something is particularly attractive to them. We have some oak trees but I haven't had a problem with them. I had a couple of peach trees overhanging my foaling pasture at the old house - they are on the toxic list, but I never had a sick horse from them even though the mares would stand under the tree and wait for the peaches to fall! (I tried to stay ahead of them and keep the peaches picked but those trees are pretty prolific lol).

I didn't answer your question very well, just more to consider.
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Jan
 
PLEASE!!!!!!

DO NOT assume that a plant is safe just because it is not listed on any given site. While you can rightly assume that a plant listed is unsafe, you cannot assume the opposite is true -- just because it is not listed does NOT mean that it is safe.

People continually refer to the Cornell site as if it is the ultimate resource. It is extremely cursory. For example, a very common garden plant is the hydrangea. It is toxic to horses, yet the last time I checked the Cornell site, it was not listed.

Please, as JJay suggested, check with your county/local extension agent. A good nursery (not a "yard/garden center") may also have knowledgeable staff. (For those in the Portland, Oregon, area, Portland Nursery has a help desk that is far above even the extension agents).
 
My horses reach over the fence to eat the Mimosa Leaves & Flowers
 
Wow! Never even heard of many of these trees! (I don't believe any of them could grow here except oak trees!) We have a lot of pines. They have a rough bark so become scratching posts.Lots of good information here!
 
My horses love elms, bark and leaves. If I'm pruning any branches, I throw them in the corral with them to munch on.
They adore mulberry leaves. They vacuum those off the ground as fast as they fall. Both trees would do well for shade in a pasture, but you'd have to put a barrier around them to keep the horses from destroying them until they got grown. Mesquite beans are tasty, but they are high in sugar, so I try not to let my horses have access to too many.
 

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