RE: animals eating iris


 

Hi,

I have seen where deer will take a big bite out of the only show Iris in my garden the night before a show and never ever come back.  They ever spit out the bite.  Turkeys seem to like the Iris.

 

Char

 

 

From: iris-species@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iris-species@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Diane Whitehead
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 12:07 AM
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iris-species] animals eating iris

 

 

I read that iris were not palatable, or were actively toxic, to mammals.

I saw Iris douglasiana growing in huge clumps in pastures in
Oregon, because the cows wouldn't eat them.

Deer do not eat any of my iris.

However, someone with many different kinds of iris growing on a near-
by island with feral sheep reports that the sheep eat the leaves,
particularly in the spring.

I used to toss extra bearded iris in my goat pen and the goats would
eat the leaves.

So is it just some animals that won't eat iris, and is it a
preference, or are iris actually poisonous?

Diane Whitehead
Victoria B.C., Canada



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