# Wandering jew



## alliebaba (Mar 30, 2011)

I have heaps of the plant Wandering Jew (or is it Dew?) in my garden...it's an invasion. Just wondering maybe I could put the sheep in there to clean it up for me. Would it be safe for them to eat?
Now I'm talkin the Aussie version of the plant...if only I could post pics I'd show you. It's starts off as a nice garden plant but then invades everything, there is a purple version of it but it's not so prolific.
Anyway Mr Old Ram Australia if you read this you may know the plant I'm referring to?


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## rockdoveranch (May 10, 2011)

There is a thread in this section called "Sheep and Red Clover".  Someone has posted a link on poisonous plants there, so you might want to check it out.

It _is_ called Wandering Jew.  I have no idea if it is poisonous to sheep or not.  Sorry.  There are several different species.  We have a wild variety out here in nowhere Texas with lovely tiny light blue flowers.  We have a purple variety in a flower bed, and I had a green variety out here at one time until something eat it down.

We have an old Oleander plant out back and the plant is poisonous to humans, so I assume it is to animals too.  Are sheep munch on it all the time.  Azaleas are poisonous too.  The deer and sheep have eaten ours down so far that they have all died . . . the plants, not the sheep.

Guess I am going to do some googling about Wandering Jew.


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## Bossroo (May 11, 2011)

I haven't run accross the wondering jew plant as it seams to grow mostly in the Southern part of the country. It is very difficult to irradicate once it gets going in an area.    As for Oleander, it is deadly for all classes of livestock as well as humans. I have necropsied quite a few livestock as well as dogs and cats at UCD Vet Pathology...as few as 1-3 leaves will kill a lamb, kid or puppy. As few as 5-7 leaves will kill a large goat or sheep or dog. as few as 12 leaves  will kill a calf or foal. 
Adult horses and cattle  may have symtoms of colic / and or diarrhea and in larger quantities can be fatal..   Also as  few as 3 leaves will make a child very ill or even kill him/ her. Burning a brush pile, it's smoke  will sicken most people.


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## rockdoveranch (May 11, 2011)

When my kids were little I planted Oleanders, but pulled them all out of the ground and threw them away when I read they were poisonous. 

My husband planted the Oleander out here long before I ever met him.  The sheep and the lambs do eat the leaves.  Have for almost 7 years.  I guess we should kill the plant just to be safe.  Our Azaleas disappeared years ago from the sheep and deer, so I do not have to worry about them anymore.  Could it be that they do not affect hair sheep?

What about the Wandering Jew?

We live in what is called the Post Oak Savannah here in Texas.  We have thousands of Oak trees; mostly Post and Live, but we do have Water and a few Jack.  The leaves and the bark are supposed to be deadly to horses and cows.  These same trees are all throughout our county, and this is cow and working cowboy country.  I talked to one vet out here before buying my horse and he said eating a few leaves and bark will not hurt a horse or cow.    

This is all very confusing to me.  

A couple of years ago we had a lovely ram die.  It was a VERY cold RAINY winter.  We took him to A & M University Veterinary School for a necropsy and were told he died of hypothermia . . . a REAL shocker to us.


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