# Wild Plum Poisonous?



## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

I've read that wild cherry (wilted or not) is a death sentence for goats, but I have several wild plum trees in the area & was wondering if they are also poisonous to goats? Does it just apply to the cherry family or any leaf from stone fruits?


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Any stone fruit leaves wilted are poisonous, not just to goats but to everything. Fresh(as in browsed off the tree), are fine. My goats browse off cherry trees all the time. When the leaves fall and wilt in the fall they are also fine. The poison happens when the strongly growing leaves are abruptly wilted from like a tree branch falling or a tree being cut down. Something to do with the chemical reaction as the leaf dies.
So if your goats are browsing on live cherry or plum trees, they are fine. If they are eating fallen leaves off the ground in the fall, they are fine. Any other wilted leaves are poisonous.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

Thanks for the info! I suppose I should take down the few remaining plum trees anyways as they aren't in the best condition and I do see fallen leaves around them. It would be another thing if they were really good producers of wild plums (and if I actually ate them), but since they are just kind of "there", it gives me a good excuse to make some wood sticks for smoking meat this fall.


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