Golden chain Toxic?

Updated 2026-03-06| 2 min read| 1,010 found this helpful

All plant parts, especially bean-like seed pods and bark, are highly toxic even when fully dried

Ingestion can cause rapid onset of severe symptoms and death in dogs, horses, pigs, and cattle

Cytisine toxin is excreted in milk of exposed animals, creating risk of secondary poisoning

FAQ

Is Golden chain toxic to Humans?

No specific human exposure data is documented, but ingestion is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, ataxia, seizures, and potentially fatal neurorespiratory failure in severe cases (Severe)

Is Golden chain toxic to Cats?

No feline-specific toxicity data is available, but ingestion is expected to cause vomiting, excessive salivation, ataxia, seizures, and respiratory distress consistent with alkaloid poisoning (Severe)

Is Golden chain toxic to Dogs?

Most dogs vomit immediately after ingestion preventing toxin absorption, but ingestion can cause death within 60 minutes if vomiting does not occur (Severe)

Is Golden chain toxic to Horses?

Sweating, hypertension, difficulty breathing, ataxia, seizures, colic, coma, and rapid death after ingestion (Severe)

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Toxicity Details

Humans

Severe

No specific human exposure data is documented, but ingestion is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, ataxia, seizures, and potentially fatal neurorespiratory failure in severe cases

Cats

Severe

No feline-specific toxicity data is available, but ingestion is expected to cause vomiting, excessive salivation, ataxia, seizures, and respiratory distress consistent with alkaloid poisoning

Dogs

Severe

Most dogs vomit immediately after ingestion preventing toxin absorption, but ingestion can cause death within 60 minutes if vomiting does not occur

Horses

Severe

Sweating, hypertension, difficulty breathing, ataxia, seizures, colic, coma, and rapid death after ingestion

Toxicity Snapshot

Toxic PartsWhole plant, especially bean-like seed pods and bark; dried plant parts are also toxic

Exposure RouteIngestion of any plant part, secondary ingestion via consumption of milk from exposed lactating livestock

Toxic CompoundsCytisine; Laburnin; Laburnamine; N-Methylcytisin

First Aid & Prevention

First 30 Minutes

• Induce vomiting immediately if ingestion occurred within 15 minutes and the affected individual is conscious
• Administer activated charcoal at 1-2g/kg body weight to bind unabsorbed toxins in the gut
• Remove all residual plant material from the mouth and move the individual to a quiet, safe area to avoid seizure injury

Contact Vet Immediately

• Any confirmed or suspected ingestion of any part of the plant, even if no symptoms are present
• Onset of symptoms including vomiting, ataxia, seizures, difficulty breathing, or lethargy after exposure
• Exposure in livestock, due to risk of secondary poisoning from contaminated milk

Prevention

• Do not plant Golden chain in areas accessible to pets, livestock, or young children
• Regularly clean up fallen branches, seed pods, and plant debris from areas with animal or child access
• Never feed cuttings, trimmings, or dried plant material from this species to any livestock or pets

Treatment & Prognosis

• Gastric decontamination including emesis, activated charcoal administration, or gastric lavage as clinically indicated
• Symptomatic supportive care including anti-seizure medication, IV fluid therapy, and respiratory support as needed
• Continuous monitoring of cardiac and respiratory function for a minimum of 24 hours post-exposure

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Professional Toxicology

Scientific NameLaburnum anagyroides Medik. (syn. Cytisus laburnum L.)

AliasesGolden rain

Toxicity Grade

HumansSevere

CatsSevere

DogsSevere

HorsesSevere

Target Organs

Central nervous systemRespiratory systemCardiovascular systemGastrointestinal tract

Mechanism of Action

• Quinolizidine alkaloids (primarily cytisine) bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system, disrupting neurotransmission

• Toxins are rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, leading to fast onset of symptoms within minutes to hours of ingestion

• Cytisine is excreted unmetabolized in milk of exposed lactating animals, causing secondary poisoning risk for offspring or consumers of contaminated milk

Other Species Risk (CliniTox)

Information from CliniTox veterinary text.

Pig: Ingestion causes severe bloody diarrhea, apathy, blindness, and seizures

Cattle: Ingestion leads to ataxia, seizures, reduced milk production, and recumbency; cattle have higher toxin resistance than horses or dogs

Goat: Higher natural resistance to the plant's toxins than most other domestic species, but large ingestion can still cause clinical toxicity

Animals/humans consuming contaminated milk: Cytisine is excreted in the milk of exposed lactating animals, leading to risk of secondary poisoning even without direct ingestion of the plant

Confusion Risk

The following plants look similar and may be confused:

Alpine Golden chain Laburnum alpinum

Visually nearly identical to common Golden chain, both produce long hanging clusters of bright yellow flowers; key difference is Alpine Golden chain has smooth hairless seed pods while common Golden chain has fuzzy pods, and both are extremely toxic

Alexandrian Senna Senna alexandrina

Has similar bright yellow flower clusters and pinnate leaf morphology, often found in overlapping temperate growing regions; Senna has narrower elongated leaflets and is moderately toxic, primarily causing severe gastrointestinal distress

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Related Toxic Plants

Black Locust

Robinia pseudoacacia

Severe toxicity

Yellow Lupine

Lupinus luteus

Moderate to Severe toxicity

Kentucky Coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus

Severe toxicity

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Data Sources

1. CliniTox (Universität Zürich)

This information is for reference only and does not constitute medical advice. If ingestion or poisoning is suspected, seek medical or veterinary attention immediately.