Help me decide!

[ditchman5]

I have a wisteria that I would like on the side of my chicken coop, but I am not sure if it is poisonous to chickens or not.

 

[bj taylor]

i read that it is toxic to cats/dogs/horses. so i'm assuming chickens too. i also read that chickens will eat the flowers.

 

[Barrdwing]

I'm pretty sure wisteria is toxic. However, if you want a climbing plant for the spring and summer, you could use morning-glory; just be sure to AVOID the blue varieties, which are toxic. We used two red varieties, "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Crimson Rambler." The plants did beautifully so long as the chickens were inside the coop and the plants were outside. The vines grew all over the coop and bloomed like mad, providing lots of shade and looking very pretty. But when we changed our setup and let the chickens out where they could get to the plants, they ate them up.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Yes wisteria is toxic to some extent. We have it and the chickens wont touch it. They seem to normally know what's good or bad for them. My experience with this vine is it's VERY fast growing and VERY high maintenance. The vines seem to grow one foot or more almost overnight. We planted one against our front porch post and what a mistake! They would be ok to have if far far away from any building. Unless you want the constant upkeep. Ours was actually trying to grow in the gutters, under the roof. Bad mistake on our part. Two years ago I cut it completely down to ground level. It's now 7 foot tall again. Next step will be digging it up by the roots and relocating it. They are very beautiful vines and have a fantastic scent in the spring.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

I'm pretty sure wisteria is toxic. However, if you want a climbing plant for the spring and summer, you could use morning-glory; just be sure to AVOID the blue varieties, which are toxic. We used two red varieties, "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Crimson Rambler." The plants did beautifully so long as the chickens were inside the coop and the plants were outside. The vines grew all over the coop and bloomed like mad, providing lots of shade and looking very pretty. But when we changed our setup and let the chickens out where they could get to the plants, they ate them up.

Have you seen the Moonflower vine? They are beautiful too! We planted seeds a few years ago against a pear tree and this vine grew during the summer up the tree about 6 foot high. The flowers open up and night and the scent it something short of amazing. A very tropical scent that filled the yard.

 

[akovia]

Moonflower vine:
Ipomoea alba
Seeds are highly toxic
http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/ipomoea-alba-moonflower.aspx