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How common was locoweed poisoning in the Old West?

by | Jan 31, 2010 | Inside History

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How common was locoweed poisoning in the Old West? Wesley Egli Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania Loco comes from the Spanish, meaning “mad” or “crazy.” Scientifically, locoweed is any number of plants widespread in the West, some of which contain a neurotoxin. The plant was a problem in the Old West, and it’s said to be the most widespread poisonous plant problem in today’s West as well. A big part of the trouble: it’s relatively palatable to livestock. Cattle and horses tend to eat loco


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