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Wilted chokecherry leaves are deadly to horses because they release what poison?

Cyanide, released when horses chew or the plant wilts.

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  1. Caffeine
  2. Chlorine
  3. Cyanide ✔

Why: Chokecherry leaves and seeds contain cyanide, and wilting after a frost releases it. Horses can die within minutes to an hour. Cut chokecherry out of pasture fence lines.

Huh, didn't know that: UMN says treatment is rarely possible because the plant works so fast.

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References

Answer: Cyanide. Chokecherry leaves and seeds contain cyanide, and wilting after a frost releases it. Horses can die within minutes to an hour. Cut chokecherry out of pasture fence lines.

  1. Chokecherry: a lethal plant to horses, UMN Extension extension.umn.edu/node/14421
    Chokecherry plants contain the toxin, cyanide, in their leaves and seeds.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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