Is cow parsley poisonous?

'cos I have loads of it and wondered if the bunnys wanted to get rid of it for me :lol:

No its fine - although it is usually used only until it flowers as the chemistry changes after flowering.

However a word of warning - there are many many many umbillifera plants that look very much like cow parsley including several which are poisonous so do make sure its cow parsley.

The give away is the shape of the leaf stem in section.

I couldn't agree more with parsnip bun.
Cow parsley can refer to different plants in different regions.

My bun enjoys a little cow parsley (wild chervil) 2 Fronds am & pm.
It is a diuretic. Any more than that, makes him incredibly hyperactive & oversexed. I know of 2 other buns similarly affected.

mmmm - my buns get it by the bucket load when its in season (though they 'tell' me the season is passed now - and its being met with disdain:lol::lol never noticed the oversexed bit though

Here we have moved on to the dandelions with a few forget my nots and a sprinkling of cranesbill, young ground elder (which also stops being attractive after flowering) and of course lots of grass.

Next month should bring some early sow thistle . . . and field bindweed.

Oh the joys of rabbit ownership - an intimate knowledge of when which weeds are tastiest:roll::roll::roll:

Parsnip bun, where can we get this information about wild plants for bunnies? I only know about a few.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the problem with wild chervil is our local variety.

Toxic Plants
THIS LIST IS NOT NECESSARILY COMPREHENSIVE OR COMPLETELY ACCURATE IT IS SOURCED FROM AMERICAN MATERIAL.
IF IN DOUBT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS RING YOUR VET.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following is a partial list of plants that rabbits should not eat. This list is a compilation of lists from various sources.


Where available, the parts of the plants to be avoided are included enclosed in parentheses.
The exclusion of a specific plant from this list does not indicate that the plant is safe. Plants commonly known by more than one name may occur multiple times in the list.
If you suspect your rabbit has ingested an unsafe plant, please call your vet.


A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
A
Agave (leaves)
Almond
Aloe
Amaryllis (bulbs)
Andromeda Anemone
Angel's Trumpet
Apple (seeds)
Apricot (all parts except fruit) Asian Lilly
Asparagus Fern
Australian Nut
Autumn Crocus
Avacado (leaves)
Azalea (leaves)
B
Balsam pear (seeds, outer rind of fruit)
Baneberry (berries, roots)
Barbados Lilly
Begonia
Betel-nut Palm
Bird of Paradise (seeds)
Bitter Cherry (seeds)
Bittersweet (American & European) Black Nightshade
Black Walnut (hulls)
Bloodroot
Bluebonnet
Boston Ivy
Buddhist Pine
Busy Lizzie
Buttercup (leaves)
Black Locust (seeds,bark, sprouts, foliage) Blue-green algae (some forms toxic)
Bloodroot
Boxwood (leaves,twigs)
Bracken fern
Branching Ivy
Buckeye (seeds)
Buckthorn (berries, fruit, bark)
Bull Nettle
Buttercup (sap, bulbs)
C
Cactus Thorn
Caladium
Calendula
Calico Bush
Calla Lilly (rhizome, leaves)
Caladiur (leaves)
Carnation
Carolina Jessamine
Castor Bean (seed, leaves - castor oil)
Celastrus
Ceriman
Chalice vine (all parts) Cherry tree (bark, twig, leaves, pits)
China Doll
Chinaberry tree
Chinese Bellflower
Chinese Lantern
Chinese Evergreen
Choke Cherry (seeds)
Christmas Candle (sap)
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Cineraria
Clematis
Climbing Nightshade Coffee Bean
Cone Flower
Coral plant (seeds)
Cordatum
Corn Plant
Cowbane
Cowslip ? not sure if this is the same as cowparsley:?
Crown of Thorns
Cuban Laurel
Cuckoopint (all parts)
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen
D
Daffodil (bulbs)
Daisy
Daphne (berries, bark)
Datura (berries)
Day Lily Deadly Amanita (all parts)
Deadly Nightshade
Death Camas (all parts)
Delphinium (all parts)
Devil's Ivy Dieffenbachia (leaves)
Dogbane
Dracaena
Dumb Cane
Dutchman's Breeches
E
Easter Lilly
Eggplant (all but fruit) Elderberry (unripe berries, roots, stems)
Elephant Ear (leaves, stem)
Emerald Feather English Laurel
English Ivy (berries, leaves)
Eucalyptus
F
False Hellebore
False Henbane (all parts)
False Parsley Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fireweed
Flamingo Plant Florida Beauty
Flowering Maple
Flowering Tobacco
Foxglove (leaves, seeds)
G
Garden Sorrel
Geranium
German Ivy
Ghostweed (all parts) Giant Touch-me-not
Glacier Ivy
Gladiola
Glory Lilly Gold Dust
Golden Chain (all parts)
Golden Pothos
Green Gold
H
Hahn's Ivy
Hairy Vetch
Hart Ivy
Hawaiian Ti
Heartleaf Philodendron
Heavenly Bamboo Hemlock, Poison (all parts)
Hemlock, Water (all parts)
Henbane (seeds)
Hogwart
Holly (berries)
Horse Chestnut (nuts, twigs) Horsehead Philodendron
Horsetail Reed
Hurricane Plant
Hyacinth (bulbs)
Hydrangea
I
Impatiens
Indian Hemp
Indian Rubber Indian Turnip (all parts)
Indigo
Inkberry Iris (bulbs)
Ivy, Boston & English (berries, leaves)
J
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (all parts)
Japanese Euonymus
Japanese Show Lily
Japanese Yew
Jasmine Java Bean (uncooked bean)
Jerusalem Cherry (berries)
Jessamine
Jimson Weed (leaves, seeds) Johnson Grass
Jonquil
Juniper (needles, stems, berries)
L
Laburnum (all parts)
Lace Fern
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lady Slipper Lantana (immature berries)
Larkspur (all parts)
Laurel (all parts)
Laurel Cherry
Lily of the Valley (all parts) Lima Bean (uncooked bean)
Lobelia (all parts)
Locoweed (all parts)
Lords and Ladies (all parts)
Lupine
M
Macadamia Nut
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Manchineel Tree
Marbel Queen
Marijuana (leaves)
Marsh Marigold
Mauna Loa Peace Lily
Mayapple (all parts except fruit) Meadow Saffron
Medicine Plant
Mesquite
Mexican Breadfruit
Mescal Bean (seeds)
Milk Bush
Milkweed
Mistletoe (berries) Mock Orange (fruit)
Monkshood (leaves, roots)
Moonflower
Morning Glory (all parts)
Mother-in-law
Mountain Laurel
Mushrooms (some)
Mustard (root)
N
Nandina
Narcissus (bulbs) Needlepoint Ivy
Nephtytis
Nicotiana Nightshades (berries, leaves)
Nutmeg
O
Oak (acorns, foliage) Oleander (leaves, branches, nectar) Oxalis
Onion and all plants from the Onion family

P
Panda
Parlor Ivy
Parsnip
Patience Plant
Peace Lily
Peach (leaves, twigs, seeds)
Pear (seeds)
Pencil Cactus
Peony Periwinkle
Peyote
Philodendron (leaves, stem)
Plum (seeds)
Plumosa Fern
Poinsettia (leaves, flowers)
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Poison sumac Pokeweed
Poppy
Potato (eyes & new shoots, green parts)
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Primula
Privet (all parts)
Purple Thornapple
Q
Queensland Nut
R
Ranunculus
Red Emerald
Red Lily Red Princess
Rhododendron (all parts)
Rhubarb (leaves) Ribbon Plant
Ripple Ivy
Rosary Pea (seeds)
Rubrum Lily
S
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Self-branching Ivy
Sennabean
Shamrock Plant
Silver Pothos
Skunk Cabbage (all parts) Snake Palm
Snowdrop (all parts)
Snow-on-the-Mountain (all parts)
Solomon's Seal
Spindleberry
Split Leaf Philodendron Star of Bethlehem
Stinkweed
String of Pearls
Sweet Pea (seeds and fruit)
Sweet Potato
Sweetheart Ivy
Swiss Cheese Plant
T
Tansy
Taro Vine
Thornapple Tiger Lily
Toadstools
Tobacco (leaves) Tomato (leaves, vines)
Tree Philodendron
Tulip (bulb)
U
Umbrella Plant
V
Vetch (Hairy)
Vinca Violet (seeds) Virginia Creeper (berries, sap)
W
Walnuts (hulls, green shells)
Water Hemlock
Weeping Fig Western Lily
Wild Carrots
Wild Cucumber
Wild Parsnip Wild Peas
Wisteria (all parts)
Wood Lily
Wood-rose
Y
Yam Bean (roots, immature pods) Yellow Jasmine Yew (needles, seeds, berries)
Yucca

cowslip is NOT the same as cow parsley it is a completely different family of plants. Cowslip is a primulaceae cow parsley is an umbillifera

Avocado - in fact the area around the seed (pip) is extremely poisonous

Ivy - the leaves are not poisonous in small quantities (interestingly shepherds used to use ivy to supplement feed stock when there were harsh winters)

I have not time to look at the rest at present but those are a couple that caught my eye

One of the problems with lists is that they often use common names instead of Latin names so that if you try and use an American list for example they have different common names to us for the same plant. They also often don't list wild plants native to UK

Also they are often based n what is poisonous to other animals (or children) and not rabbits - rabbits fortunately seem to have a high toxicity tolerance due to their odd digestive systems . . and can eat some odd things.. .

for example my rabbits love eating euphorbias which have a very very irritant sap and should be avoided by anyone else - I do NOT give it to them to eat but given a chance 'break in' they will head straight for it on the flower beds.

PS I note onion is not there but onion and the onion family can cause anaphylactic shock to susceptible rabbits (not all of them - just those with an onion intolerance which is apparently quite a lot of them).

parsnipbun said:

Ivy - the leaves are not poisonous in small quantities (interestingly shepherds used to use ivy to supplement feed stock when there were harsh winters)

Click to expand...

I have recently heard from Mudgy that her bun with severe snuffles has started to eat a few leaves of ivy in the garden, having ignored it previously.

Symptomatic improvememt coincided with this. I DO NOT recommend anyone to try this. I wonder whether anyone can cast further light on this observation?

I have also noticed that Thumper will only eat the safe wild plants which are known to improve GI function & mild diuretics which help his turbid urine. I surmise that he has sufficient wild instinct to know what to eat to help him. I also wonder whether anyone else has noticed this?

Thanks

Thumps - Yes I noticed my buns do seem to know whats good for them too

thumps_ said:

I have recently heard from Mudgy that her bun with severe snuffles has started to eat a few leaves of ivy in the garden, having ignored it previously.

Symptomatic improvememt coincided with this. I DO NOT recommend anyone to try this. I wonder whether anyone can cast further light on this observation?

I have also noticed that Thumper will only eat the safe wild plants which are known to improve GI function & mild diuretics which help his turbid urine. I surmise that he has sufficient wild instinct to know what to eat to help him. I also wonder whether anyone else has noticed this?

Click to expand...

Willow is a good example of this as well - an ill or in pain rabbit will often eat willow even if they won't eat anything else - willow bark (and to a lesser extent leaves) contain a natural form of aspirin so it makes sense.

Ditto bramble leaves for gut problems.

On the other hand they do silly things like eat comfrey leaves which are VERY VERY high in calcium despite already being a bladder sludge bunny!:?:?

Also we now have so many plants that are not native to this country that its tricky to see how a rabbit would know what to eat . . . and of course rabbits are not native to this country either:?

parsnipbun said:

cowslip is NOT the same as cow parsley it is a completely different family of plants. Cowslip is a primulaceae cow parsley is an umbillifera
Avocado - in fact the area around the seed (pip) is extremely poisonous

Ivy - the leaves are not poisonous in small quantities (interestingly shepherds used to use ivy to supplement feed stock when there were harsh winters)

I have not time to look at the rest at present but those are a couple that caught my eye

One of the problems with lists is that they often use common names instead of Latin names so that if you try and use an American list for example they have different common names to us for the same plant. They also often don't list wild plants native to UK

Also they are often based n what is poisonous to other animals (or children) and not rabbits - rabbits fortunately seem to have a high toxicity tolerance due to their odd digestive systems . . and can eat some odd things.. .

for example my rabbits love eating euphorbias which have a very very irritant sap and should be avoided by anyone else - I do NOT give it to them to eat but given a chance 'break in' they will head straight for it on the flower beds.

PS I note onion is not there but onion and the onion family can cause anaphylactic shock to susceptible rabbits (not all of them - just those with an onion intolerance which is apparently quite a lot of them).

Click to expand...

:wave: Yes I wasn't sure tbh, I think that list I copied is American aswell, didn't think of that. I have added onion/family and added it is not necessarily accurate/conclusive due to being American.

parsnipbun said:

Willow is a good example of this as well - an ill or in pain rabbit will often eat willow even if they won't eat anything else - willow bark (and to a lesser extent leaves) contain a natural form of aspirin so it makes sense.

Ditto bramble leaves for gut problems.

On the other hand they do silly things like eat comfrey leaves which are VERY VERY high in calcium despite already being a bladder sludge bunny!:?:?

Also we now have so many plants that are not native to this country that its tricky to see how a rabbit would know what to eat . . . and of course rabbits are not native to this country either:?

Click to expand...

I understand that European rabbits the ancestors of domestic rabbits originated from Spain, part of Portugal & SW France. The spread across Europe is said to be caused by man. I've no idea howmuch their native flora differs from ours.