# Best DT Plants in AZ



## Nosnibor (May 27, 2015)

Hey Folks,

I am remodeling our backyard and I am looking for some good plants to plant for our Tortoise. I would like some that look good, but the real goal is to get plants that the Leo can enjoy. These will be planted amidst landscape rocks and we will have dripper lines to water them. From what have looked at so far, I am for sure putting in a hibiscus, I wish I could find some _*Hibiscus denudatus*_(rock hibiscus). Any other plants, what do you guys think?


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## G-stars (May 27, 2015)

Opuntia cactus aren't the nicest to look at but offer a great source of food and should grow great in your climate. Grape vines are another good option.


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## Nosnibor (May 27, 2015)

G-stars said:


> Opuntia cactus aren't the nicest to look at but offer a great source of food and should grow great in your climate. Grape vines are another good option.


Thanks G-stars! I've been growing some Opuntia on the side of the house out of the yard so that the kids can't get into it. Its a great plant to have and you can easily cut off the new pads and feed them to the tortoise.


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## Neal (May 27, 2015)

One of my favorites is purple fountain grass. Although it doesn't provide much food (they can eat it, but they don't unless there's nothing else available), it provides a lot of good shade and looks nice.

Hibiscus and grape are good, but you'll have a hard time with new plantings this late in the season...it can be done though, it would just take a bit of good watering and a shade screen overhead would help.

Elephant bush looks good and typically does well here. It is also edible.


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## Nosnibor (May 27, 2015)

Thanks Neal! I like how the Purple fountain grass looks, and the elephant bush looks good too. It's funny, when I saw that you commented I was confused because I have an identical twin named Neal, same spelling, and I thought it might be him.


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## Neal (May 27, 2015)

Maybe I am....


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## Romie (May 27, 2015)

My tort loves aloe vera and it's very easy to grow.


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## Arnold_rules (May 28, 2015)

Mexican prim rose, my desert tortoise loves it and will eat it up very quickly. The plus is that the grow pretty pink flowers, they just don't last long because my tortoise will chow down on them whenever he can.


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## Kenno (May 31, 2015)

There's always dandelions! My torts eat them down to the roots but they always grow back.


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## Ariza (Jun 1, 2015)

Here's pics of my H Denudatus, it's a neat plant, kind of looks like a mallow. My Ariza likes both the leaves and flowers. I got my plant at Desert Survivors Nursey in Tucson, about $7 for one gallon pot. I also agree with Mexican Evening Primrose, beautiful flowers and my tort loves both leaves and flowers. I made the mistake of not restricting her munching on it and it died. I'm going to try again in the fall. I'm going to make wire mesh cages so that I can fence a plant and give it a chance to recover from her munching. Another plant she eats to death is Hibiscus Excertum (? hope that's right). And I just planted dandelions and clover and testude mix seeds. Good luck!


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## Ariza (Jun 1, 2015)

Nosnibor said:


> Thanks G-stars! I've been growing some Opuntia on the side of the house out of the yard so that the kids can't get into it. Its a great plant to have and you can easily cut off the new pads and feed them to the tortoise.


 
I didn't want to plant Opuntia because of the fearsome spines, but then read a thread here that recommended a Opuntia without spines OR glocchids and I bought some and planted it. Very nice vendor, too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/039-Old-Mex...ntia-1-Pad-Hardy-/121323290320?#ht_287wt_1216


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## ascott (Jun 1, 2015)

Nosnibor said:


> Hey Folks,
> 
> I am remodeling our backyard and I am looking for some good plants to plant for our Tortoise. I would like some that look good, but the real goal is to get plants that the Leo can enjoy. These will be planted amidst landscape rocks and we will have dripper lines to water them. From what have looked at so far, I am for sure putting in a hibiscus, I wish I could find some _*Hibiscus denudatus*_(rock hibiscus). Any other plants, what do you guys think?




http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/5.html


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## ellen (Jun 26, 2015)

Another great place to look for native plants is Native Seed Search. They have a desert tortoise seed mix as well as a bunch of other seed mixes and separate packs of seeds. They also carry a lot of native grass seeds. From time to time if you visit their retail store they'll even have plants for sale. I got one of their seed mixes (Short Stuff) and ended up with something not at all short, though. I ended up growing a desert willow tree. How it happened I am still not even sure...


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