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Sago Palms Can Be a Danger to Dogs

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Sago palms are among the many cycads that grow in tropical area of the world; this group of plants first appeared 252 million years ago. They’re gymnosperms and don’t produce true fruits. All parts of these plants are poisonous, the seeds are the most toxic. But the leaves are tasty to dogs and if they chew on them, can be lethal. Please, remove any sago palms from areas where your dogs are confined. Oddly, the seeds and fleshy trunks are high in carbohydrates and many early human beings learned how to leach out the poisonous compounds and use the calorie rich starches as important parts of their diets. Sago palms resemble certain true palms – but they’re entirely different so don’t worry about your pet chewing on palmetto leaves. Look up pictures of sago palms if you aren’t sure what’s g rowing in your yard.

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.