Ground-ivy
General poisoning notes:
Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a creeping ground cover that can grow abundantly in uncultivated damp or shaded ground around houses and garden areas. This plant contains an irritant oil that is toxic to horses if they ingest large quantities of the fresh or dried plant. In one case in Canada the death of horses was reported (Fyles 1920, Fuller and McClintock 1986).
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Glechoma hederacea L.
Vernacular name(s): ground-ivy
Scientific family name: Labiatae
Vernacular family name: mint
Glechoma hederacea L.
Geographic Information
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Toxic parts:
Leaves.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Unknown chemical
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
Horses
General symptoms of poisoning:
Cyanosis, dyspnea, lungs, congestion of, pupil dilation, salivation, sweating.
Notes on poisoning:
In Prince Edward Island two horses ingested large quantities of ground-ivy in November when the ivy provided an abundance of green foliage. The horses panted continually and died within a a week. One horse would lie down and the other horse would not. In Europe, horses have been reported to ingest large amounts of fresh or dried ground-ivy, with subsequent poisoning. Apparently, cattle and sheep were not poisoned after they ingested the plant (Fyles 1920).
