# Hibiscus for Russian torts?



## paarthurnax.tortoise (Oct 23, 2014)

I read somewhere a while ago that hibiscus flowers are good treats for Russian tortoises.

Is that true? If so, where is a good place to get them? Do they like them dried as well?


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## Blakem (Oct 23, 2014)

My Russian enjoys hibiscus. You can buy and grow your own. There's different types. I only know one called rose of Sharon.


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## G-stars (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes hibiscus is safe for tortoises. Flower and leaf are god for them, mind only prefer fresh cuts. Buy a nice hibiscus bush and take cuts from there. 


— Gus


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## lismar79 (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm growing two indoors now. Easy to take care of. Rose of sharons are a variation and are really great for us northern cold climate types. Plant some in your yard next spring. Make sure you give any plant you buy from a store time to detox to work the
E chems out.


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Oct 24, 2014)

Yes, really easy to take care of. Don't ever let them dry out, though, the leaves will shrivel and fall off... my smaller bush looks totally bare now 
Many hibiscus types are safe to eat, and easy divide up, too... I got mine form a garden store, waited a season to feed, ad now they are a hit! The flowers I have produce a lot of very sugary nectar, so if you get a very sweet bush, it'd probably be best as just a treat


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## Tyanna (Oct 24, 2014)

lismar79 said:


> I'm growing two indoors now. Easy to take care of. Rose of sharons are a variation and are really great for us northern cold climate types. Plant some in your yard next spring. Make sure you give any plant you buy from a store time to detox to work the
> E chems out.



You using a grow light or just sunny area?


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## lismar79 (Oct 24, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> You using a grow light or just sunny area?


Just in a sunny area


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## paarthurnax.tortoise (Oct 24, 2014)

It'll be hard for me to grow one since I live in an apartment...but I will look around for options. Thanks!


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## Tyanna (Oct 24, 2014)

Just buy a florescent bulb or a cheap grow light! Otherwise, my stuff grows decently under my MVB in my torts enclosure!


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## Tom (Oct 24, 2014)

Best place to get them is from long established bushes of friends, family or neighbors. When you buy a plant from the store, they are full of systemic pesticides that can last a year. The leaves are an excellent food too.

Also look into African Hibiscus. That is one of my favorites. Very easy to grow and all species of tortoise love it. All of mine eat around other pieces of food to get at the Af. Hibiscus leaves I feed them.


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## paarthurnax.tortoise (Oct 26, 2014)

My local Lowe's sells Hibiscus moscheutos. Are they suitable for tortoises?


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## Tom (Oct 26, 2014)

paarthurnax.tortoise said:


> My local Lowe's sells Hibiscus moscheutos. Are they suitable for tortoises?



Yes. That species is fine and good food, but you won't be able to feed any of it for a year. Commercially grown plants are grown with systemic pesticides. These are absorbed into the plants tissues and cannot be removed. They can take a year to dissipate to safe levels. I would only feed new growth that occurs after one year has passed.

I got this info from an experience tortoise keeper who happens to work at a nursery.


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## Braeden p (Jun 16, 2020)

Tom said:


> Yes. That species is fine and good food, but you won't be able to feed any of it for a year. Commercially grown plants are grown with systemic pesticides. These are absorbed into the plants tissues and cannot be removed. They can take a year to dissipate to safe levels. I would only feed new growth that occurs after one year has passed.
> 
> I got this info from an experience tortoise keeper who happens to work at a nursery.


$hit I fed the same ones to Betty for two years the die every winter so should Betty be fine she ate about 8 in two weeks.


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## Tom (Jun 16, 2020)

Braeden p said:


> $hit I fed the same ones to Betty for two years the die every winter so should Betty be fine she ate about 8 in two weeks.


Is there a question in here? Please slow down and use some punctuation so we can make sense of what you are typing.


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## Braeden p (Jun 16, 2020)

Tom said:


> Is there a question in here? Please slow down and use some punctuation so we can make sense of what you are typing.


So last year we bought some hibiscus from Lowe’s and fed some to Betty. The plants died over the winter, so we bought more from Lowe’s and Betty ate a lot. Could Betty be sick because she doesn’t act like herself but it could just be that I moved her to her new pen 2 days ago.


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## Tom (Jun 16, 2020)

Braeden p said:


> So last year we bought some hibiscus from Lowe’s and fed some to Betty. The plants died over the winter, so we bought more from Lowe’s and Betty ate a lot. Could Betty be sick because she doesn’t act like herself but it could just be that I moved her to her new pen 2 days ago.


Yes. It is a possibility that the toxins are affecting her.


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## Braeden p (Jun 16, 2020)

Tom said:


> Yes. It is a possibility that the toxins are affecting her.


 is there any thing I can do?


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## Tom (Jun 16, 2020)

Braeden p said:


> is there any thing I can do?


Soak daily and hope for the best. There are far too many variables for anyone to make a prediction.


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## KarenSoCal (Jun 18, 2020)

How is Betty doing? Is she getting used to her new pen? Acting like herself?


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## Braeden p (Jun 18, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> How is Betty doing? Is she getting used to her new pen? Acting like herself?


She doesn’t like to walk to eat her food probably because I need another light because it is about 77f where I put her food but if I put it in front of her she will eat it and she loves to just stretch out under her light and take a nap she has hissy fits about not taking a walk and digs under her water and flips it over and just goes on a full rampage even if it is raining.


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## Maro2Bear (Jun 18, 2020)

Braeden p said:


> $hit I fed the same ones to Betty for two years the die every winter so should Betty be fine she ate about 8 in two weeks.



They are probably not surviving because you need to bring them inside so they don’t freeze. These are tropical plants & won’t survive in Pennsylvania in the Winter. Keep in pots, bring inside once the frosts arrive. Need good water, & bright lights.

Ogh...forgot to ask - you bringing inside in Winter?


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## Maggie3fan (Jun 18, 2020)

Braeden p said:


> So last year we bought some hibiscus from Lowe’s and fed some to Betty. The plants died over the winter, so we bought more from Lowe’s and Betty ate a lot. Could Betty be sick because she doesn’t act like herself but it could just be that I moved her to her new pen 2 days ago.


You moved her to a new pen. She's not sick. 
Hibiscus is a broad species of which Rose of Sharon belongs. Because I live where it snows, I bought Rose of Sharon as they hibernate and come back. All winter the leaves are gone and the plants are sticks, Spring comes and so do the new leaves. I have about 65 Rose of Sharon bushes and trees on all sides of my house growing for my Sulcata. Not only are they beautiful to look at tortoises love the leaves and flowers. Buy one now and take it out of the pot and rinse and rinse the root ball and stick it into the ground. You can feed in about a month. However, that's my personal experience, and I have tortoises dying left and right so I am probably wrong.


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## jsheffield (Jun 18, 2020)

I also buy dried hibiscus flowers from Amazon, and rehydrate them as a part of the varied diets of all of my tortoises.

Jamie


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## Maggie3fan (Jun 18, 2020)

jsheffield said:


> I also buy dried hibiscus flowers from Amazon, and rehydrate them as a part of the varied diets of all of my tortoises.
> 
> Jamie


Tell me about dried? I really have more blooms and leaves than 2 Sulcata can eat. I also grow big purple grapes as the leaves are so good for the tortoises and I have more of them then they eat. So I have flattened all grape leaves and stacked them carefully put them in 3 freezer bags and really they are only good for a couple of days. Do you know how to preserve them?


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## jsheffield (Jun 18, 2020)

I use a food dehydrator to dry some of the flowers that grow around here during the warm months to give them treats in the cold months.

Amazon has lots, starting at $40:

Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H2OELY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20


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## Maggie3fan (Jun 18, 2020)

jsheffield said:


> I use a food dehydrator to dry some of the flowers that grow around here during the warm months to give them treats in the cold months.
> 
> Amazon has lots, starting at $40:
> 
> Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H2OELY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20


LOL! I am freakin worthless in the kitchen. If it doesn't say Stouffers on it, I don't eat...haha, but I'm thinking it would be good to be able to feed more stuff in the winter. It rains, snows, freezes for 7 months here. Ok...I talked me into looking into at least...and I have some other stuff I might like to dry but thanks


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## Braeden p (Jun 18, 2020)

Maro2Bear said:


> They are probably not surviving because you need to bring them inside so they don’t freeze. These are tropical plants & won’t survive in Pennsylvania in the Winter. Keep in pots, bring inside once the frosts arrive. Need good water, & bright lights.
> 
> Ogh...forgot to ask - you bringing inside in Winter?


We have two plants out front and the hibiscus flowers are 8in across the survive the winter the store bought ones don’t.


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## Braeden p (Jun 18, 2020)

jsheffield said:


> I use a food dehydrator to dry some of the flowers that grow around here during the warm months to give them treats in the cold months.
> 
> Amazon has lots, starting at $40:
> 
> Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator, Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H2OELY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20


I have boxes cpu fans red heat lamps and tin foil I can make my own or just let them sit in Betty’s pen for a bit to dry out then put it in our vacuum packer.


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