fast growing shade tree for horses in FL?

gallopingbunny

Hi Everyone

Any suggestions for a fast growing shade tree which is not poisonous for horses? I live near Tampa, Florida. Also I need to know the best time to plant them as well as where to get them! I guess you can tell I am new to the region!!

TreeSpecialist

You are in an area where hundreds of trees grow easily.

1) Contact the Florida Chapter of ISA - great resource.
2) Check out Dr. Ed Gilman's work @ Planting - Landscape plants - Edward F. Gilman - UF/IFAS for more about trees for Florida.

The choices are many.

Planting is best done (almost everywhere) in the fall.
All trees once planted need to be watered (even in Florida) for 2 - 3 years to get established.

Horses hate trees. They chew them to pieces. Any trees around horses will need significant protection to keep them off of the trees.

__________________

newguy18

Well said,espically about the horses chewing on trees,put a fence up around the trees,not right up against them,but depending on the species at least 8' away from the trunks.

__________________
Have your say join us today.


old schooler

Knotahippie

Howdy there Gallopingbunny,

I'd go to a local nursery first and see what they have available.

You might come across something you like real quick if you're looking at live plants.

I found a list of stuff you DON'T want.

Poisonous to horses:

Yew (taxus species)
Oleander (nerium oleander)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Cherry trees and relatives (prunus species)
Black Walnut (juglans nigra)
Black Locust (robinia pseudoacacia)
Horse Chestnut, Buckeyes (aesculus hippocastanum)
Oak trees, acorns (quercus species)
Russian olive, also known as oleaster (elaegnus angustifolia)

Probably not all, but it's a start.

newguy18

Heres a list of poisonous trees and shrubs,coming from the book storey's guide to raising horses by heather smith thomas.

1.apple trees
2.chokecherry
3.plum
4.peach
5.apricot
6.cherry laurel
7.rayless goldenrod
8.black locust
9.red maple
10.oleander
11.magnolia
12.azalea
13.boxwood
14.privet
15.rhododenron
16.black walnut
17.yew 18.any variety of oak with acorns,most common in florida are water oaks,turkey oaks.
18.ohio buckeye
19.kentucky coffee tree
i know i posted some of knot's trees already but better safe than sorry,thats a big hole to dig.

__________________
Have your say join us today.


old schooler

gallopingbunny

Thanks to all of you for the input. I plan on having a fence around the tree, however, leaves can fall and horses may eat them. A friend had suggested a sycamore tree, and I had my eye on a magnolia. The main purpose is for shade and I don't want to wait forever! I have no problem keeping it watered. I also have a couple of volunteer camphor trees that are there, but they aren't growing as quickly as I would like.

Knotahippie

4-6" of wood/leaf chips might be able to help with young, slow growing Camphors.

gallopingbunny

Thanks, I'll try that - I have lots of wood chips in the area where the horses are kept. What about mature horse manure around them?

Knotahippie

I found another list of toxic plants.

Camphor is a bad one. Some interesting reports from AU...

The Camphor Fact Files
Camphor Laurel cont

You should get the latest toxic plant info. regarding horses from your local cooperative extension.

Wood chips with as litte as 5% walnut chips can be injurious to horses. Be sure to get chips from a reliable source.

You may want to compost em' first to reduce toxins.

Parasites could be present. It's a good idea to have a clean cage for animals, especially in confined areas...

...Are you going to ask if it's bad for horses to crash into trees?

The answer is yes.

Best bet again is to compost the manure or get real creative and heat your stable for free.

Composting for Heat and Methane