Homeowners urged to act after beloved animal poisoned by common yard plant: 'Even a small amount can kill them'

Homeowners urged to act after beloved animal poisoned by common yard plant: 'Even a small amount can kill them'

An ornamental plant showed its lethal side earlier this year when at least five elk calves died after eating Japanese yew in a Montana community south of Missoula.  The highly toxic, nonnative shrub is also the culprit in other wildlife killings, which can result from unsuspecting homeowners using the popular but poisonous plant for their landscaping. What happened? Locals in the Florence area, in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, found the dead elk …