March fiddleneck bloom toxic to horses

Diane Sieker

Staff Writer

Winter rain and snow are bringing forth lovely wildflower blooms across the Anza Valley. One of the earliest blossoms to emerge is the infamous fiddleneck.

There are several native fiddleneck species in California. Amsinckia intermedia, the Common Fiddleneck, or Intermediate Fiddleneck is a common annual herb species in the Boraginaceae family, the Borage or Forget-me-not family of plants.

However, some varieties of fiddlenecks can be a problem in crop fields, orchards and pastures. In fact, the seeds can be toxic to livestock when ingested in large amounts.

Poisoning...