# Plants for new outdoor enclosure



## TortiLover (Jun 28, 2012)

Hello everyone! So I've been diligently searching for non toxic plants for my two Desert Tortoises. Unfortunatly there is a LOT of conflicting information out there. My hope is that someone on here has had a personal experience with some of these plants and can let me know if (in their opinion) any of these would be ok. Which ones are the healthiest and should be planted in the enclosure and which should be left out for occasional snacks. (Or not used at all). Their last enclosure was 8'x4'x2' and planted with a grass mix and plain dirt (1/2 and 1/2). This time their enclosure will be 24'x8'x3' and I would like to use a lot more plants (including those native to the Mojave). So, to make a long story short, here is my narrowed down list. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with any of these, or any other suggestions?? Thanks in advance!


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## TortiLover (Jun 28, 2012)

Sorry! I totally forgot to add the list of plants, ooops! Thanks again for any help 

Inside the enclosure: Outside the enclosure:
Hibiscus Petunia
Evening Primrose or Desert Primrose Geranium (Balcon, Rose, peppermint)
Dandelion Pansy/viola/violet
Desert Globe Mallow Snapdragon
Flat-top buckwheat California poppy
Cleveland Sage Portulaca
Agave Nasturtiums
Zinnia
Abutilon
Wild Bergamot (Bee Balm)
Campanula
Clarkia (Farewell to Spring)
Coreopsis (tickseed)
Dahlia
Deer grass
Common Mallow
Rose Mallow
Hollyhock


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## ascott (Jun 28, 2012)

Welcome to the Forum 

Your list was not there.....?

http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/1.html

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/documents/NativePlantsforDesertTortoises_2008.pdf

Here are a couple sites that are helpful.....


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## reticguy76 (Jun 29, 2012)

I feed mine, dark greens, grass, weeds, hibiscus and rose (mostly leaves, because I cant get the flowers to bloom).

Mine loves loves loves bok choy. He/she digs through everything to get to the bok choy and never eats anything. So, I have hibuscus, bok choy and weeds pretty much always in there as his/her staple diet and goes to town on the bok choy.

Also, as long as nothing is sprayed on the yard and plants, you can pretty much just go outside and pick weeds and grass for your dt. Thats what I do, I just either let him/her roam outside and graze (days that Im home). Otherwise, on my work days, I just leave stuff in his/her enclosure.

Im in the process of getting the final figuring outs of his/her permanent outdoor living quarters. He/she is soooo much happier and active when he/she is outside and soaking


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## TortiLover (Jun 29, 2012)

I guess because Iâ€™m new to the site, my posts have to be checked for spam so it takes a little while to actually post. When this finally did post, I realized I forgot the list of plants lol. And when I did add the plant list it came out kind of confusing (Can you tell I'm new to the site??) Thank you for the links, but I have checked both of those sites as well as The Turtle Table, ASPCA, and various gardening sites. I have multiple non-toxic and toxic plant lists, but here's my problem: they all contradict one another! One site says its "good for them" and the next says "no way!" So what I am looking for is somebody who has had personal experience with these plants and DT's. Sorry for the confusion, I hope this is a little clearer now, haha. Here is my list again (Hopefully more organized this time)
In the enclosure:
Hibiscus,	Evening Primrose or Desert Primrose, Dandelion,	Desert Globe Mallow, Flat-top buckwheat, Cleveland Sage,	Agave, Zinnia, Abutilon, Wild Bergamot (Bee Balm), Campanula, Clarkia (Farewell to Spring),	Coreopsis (tickseed), Dahlia,	Deer grass, Common Mallow,	Rose Mallow & Hollyhock
Outside the enclosure (for occasional snacks):
Petunia, Geranium (Balcon, Rose, peppermint), Pansy/viola/violet, Snapdragon, California poppy, Portulaca & Nasturtiums
I do not plan on using all of these, I'm only looking for a few to help give them a varied diet. I already have a grass/forage seed mix as well as a desert seed mix. Hopefully someone will have some experience with a couple of these! Thanks again


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## TortiLover (Jun 29, 2012)

reticguy76 said:


> I feed mine, dark greens, grass, weeds, hibiscus and rose (mostly leaves, because I cant get the flowers to bloom).
> 
> Mine loves loves loves bok choy. He/she digs through everything to get to the bok choy and never eats anything. So, I have hibuscus, bok choy and weeds pretty much always in there as his/her staple diet and goes to town on the bok choy.
> 
> ...





Thanks! How do you know which weeds are ok? I never use pesticides or anything like that but I'm really nervous about letting them eat random weeds lol. How do you know they are not poisonous? There is a site I use to identify weeds, but again once you know what it is, some sites say its ok and others say you shouldn't give it to them. Its so confusing!! I get laughed at a lot because I wont let them just eat ramdom plants lol. Everyone always says "What do you think they do in the wild?" But I guess I'm just a nervous mom at heart lol


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## reticguy76 (Jun 29, 2012)

Here is what Ive learned and been told, "let him/her have access to anything thats wild and grows naturally, and he/she will distinguish whats good and not" It works out well for dt's being kept in the desert area.
Meaning, if I had an aldabra, I wouldnt let it just roam and eat what grows naturally here in arizona.


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## JoesMum (Jun 29, 2012)

Torts survive with poisonous plants on the wild. 

In captivity with plenty of choice in a large outdoor enclosure, they may try something bad, but won't eat enough to do harm.

I have never pulled a harmful weed from my yard... I even have yew with poisonous red berries... Joe eats the cherries from the tree next to it, but has never touched the yew.

Where food is restricted due to limited planting and supply, that's when a tort may be tempted to eat poisonous plants.


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## TortiLover (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok, so I'll (try to) relax on the weeds then, lol. And all of my plants seem ok to everybody? I also give them Pumkin and Zucchini leaves (when in season) and rose leaves and petals. These are not natuarally found in the Mojave, but they are ok for them right? Thanks for all the info. Is there anything I should add to my list? Thanks again!


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## reticguy76 (Jun 29, 2012)

I think many things are ok and not bad for them, but I personally offer what is naturally grown here in the Az desert as a staple diet (mostly the weeds like, dandilion, primrose, mallow, and the clover lookin stuff). Then I also offer greens (primarily bok choy as that is Cooters favorite of any food), hibiscus (leaves and flowers) and rose pedals and leaves


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## TortiLover (Jun 30, 2012)

Ok, great! Thanks! I'll stick more toward the native plants then. One more question though, Does it matter which specific plant I choose or is any any plant in that family ok? Take mallow for example; there is globe mallow, rose mallow, common mallow, ect. Would all of these be ok as long as they are in the same "mallow group"? Sorry for all of the questions and thanks for all of the info!



JoesMum said:


> Torts survive with poisonous plants on the wild.
> 
> In captivity with plenty of choice in a large outdoor enclosure, they may try something bad, but won't eat enough to do harm.
> 
> ...



Thanks! This made me feel better, since there is never a shortage of food for these two! They are little piggies lol


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## reticguy76 (Jun 30, 2012)

Questions are good !!

I would offer all native plants and let himi/her decipher what is good and not.

As long as they arent starving and always have food, they have great instincts as to whats ok to eat and not to ok for them.


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## TortiLover (Jul 1, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks so much for all of your help, I definitely feel better about not poisoning them lol. I'm kind of attached to these little guys


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