Greetings. This is not about identifying the plant itself nor about the flower, seeds and fruit, but the bits inside the stem. Inside the stem of the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae, or the common landscaper's choice in Southern California) are clusters of a white stringy substance that I have discovered my dogs eating several times. Can you ID that plant part and it's toxicity? They seem to really enjoy it and local city landscapers are always leaving stems on the ground that they can find. So far they've not complained, and I'm not encouraging them, I just need to know what it is. Thanks.
Can you post a picture of this stuff? (How to attach images.) It sounds on first blush like it might be either insect-related or fungal, and without seeing it we're completely stymied for ID and toxicity advice.... If, on the other hand, it's part of the plant itself (again, a picture speaks volumes), you've got zero worries - Strelizia and its relatives are non-toxic to dogs.
Thanks for your reply. Upon revisiting the scene it turns out it's not from the Strelitzias, but the palm trees! The stalks of the Strelitzia and the structures from the palms appear similar and they're both in proximity to each other. Not sure how the thought occurred to her, but it has to be the answer. That would explain the lazy landscapers, if the palm was dropping its own pods. Here's a picture of the palms with what looks like the seed clusters exposed. At least that's what I'm assuming they are.
Those look like palm flowers to me (not seeds - those would be conspicuous and hard). I've got no idea about the toxicity of palm flowers to dogs.
Yeah, they never showed any symptoms, other than relishing the pasta-like structures inside the shoot. Must be the immature flowers.
