# Banana leaf



## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

I was picking up nopales, and saw banana leaf in packages! What are thoughts on if tortoises can eat these..?


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 17, 2014)

I fed shredded banana leaves to our Sully all Summer long. No problems. Included as part of his mixed grasses, grape leaves, Rose of Sharon, etc.


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## tortadise (Nov 17, 2014)

Yep. I've only found the forest dwellers favor it though. Especially Manouria I feed the entire tree to them.


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## leigti (Nov 17, 2014)

Maro2Bear said:


> I fed shredded banana leaves to our Sully all Summer long. No problems. Included as part of his mixed grasses, grape leaves, Rose of Sharon, etc.


Where do you find banana leaves?


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## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

Try a local Hispanic market. That's where I found some.


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## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

Great to know! Thanks guys!


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 17, 2014)

tortadise said:


> Yep. I've only found the forest dwellers favor it though. Especially Manouria I feed the entire tree to them.





leigti said:


> Where do you find banana leaves?



I have a 10 footer growing in a large container, and it pushes out many " pups " every year. Started it from a small mail order plant and it really grows well all summer long here in Maryland. So i have access to fresh young tender leaves all summer long.


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## Jacqui (Nov 17, 2014)

Maro2Bear said:


> I have a 10 footer growing in a large container, and it pushes out many " pups " every year. Started it from a small mail order plant and it really grows well all summer long here in Maryland. So i have access to fresh young tender leaves all summer long.



Lucky you! I have a really hard time finding banana plants in this area.  I bought a package of those leaves once, but they were not a big hit here. Of course, I wasn't feeding manouria at the time. Now perhaps I need to give it another try.  I also can't recall if I did try it on the sulcatas (poor memory here).


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 17, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> Lucky you! I have a really hard time finding banana plants in this area.  I bought a package of those leaves once, but they were not a big hit here. Of course, I wasn't feeding manouria at the time. Now perhaps I need to give it another try.  I also can't recall if I did try it on the sulcatas (poor memory here).



Here is the guy i received mine from. They all grew well! Freezing overnight temps now, so all trimmed back and into the garage for a long Winter's nap.

http://www.greenhousebusiness.com/bananaplants.html


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## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

So you grow them in pots outside, and bring them in a warmer area for winter? Interesting. I would like to try that instead of constantly buying the leaves.


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## Jacqui (Nov 17, 2014)

Maro2Bear said:


> Here is the guy i received mine from. They all grew well! Freezing overnight temps now, so all trimmed back and into the garage for a long Winter's nap.
> 
> http://www.greenhousebusiness.com/bananaplants.html



Looks like a great site to order from. So many banana varieties. Wow!


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 17, 2014)

Yes, i have mine growing in a large plastic container, the kind used by nurseries to transplant large trees. Here's a picture of our tree in August of this year. Started off from one small pup, transplanted to larger and larger pots as needed. This was its third summer.

Plenty of leaves to share with your tortoises!


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## Jacqui (Nov 17, 2014)

Impressive!!


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## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

Woo! I just bought one, great pricing too! I bought the dwarf cavendish one. So since it lasts in the garage for winter, I'm assuming just sticking it in my house for winter will suffice?


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 17, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Woo! I just bought one, great pricing too! I bought the dwarf cavendish one. So since it lasts in the garage for winter, I'm assuming just sticking it in my house for winter will suffice?



Yes, anywhere in ur house will work. When they were smaller, we had them in our bathroom where they enjoyed both heat and humidity. Ladt year, too large so they spent hibernsting in our garage until Spring.


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## ZEROPILOT (Nov 17, 2014)

There are Banana, Plantain (Like a banana) and Mango leaves here for the picking in my back yard. Edible, yes. But my RF will not touch them. Edible doesn't always mean they'll eat them.


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## Tyanna (Nov 17, 2014)

ZEROPILOT said:


> There are Banana, Plantain (Like a banana) and Mango leaves here for the picking in my back yard. Edible, yes. But my RF will not touch them. Edible doesn't always mean they'll eat them.



I'm lucky, anything I stick in my russian eats. I've never had him really turn his nose up at anything except Mazuri.


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## ZEROPILOT (Nov 18, 2014)

Boy, Tyanna. All of my torts (R/F) are just the opposite! If there is even a trace of Mazuri, they wont touch anything else.


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## Tyanna (Nov 18, 2014)

I can't believe it! It seems almost everyone is just like your torts! I've tried mixing with pumpkin, stuck it in little taco leafs, nothing!


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## gustaf (Nov 18, 2014)

I also live in florida and have banana trees planted in my red foot enclosure for them mostly for shade and because they look cool and grow super fast. I have also offered them the leaves to eat and they have no interest in them. But they love the small bananas the tree produces though. Yum yum


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## gustaf (Nov 18, 2014)

And i think i have offered some to my sulcata in the past and i dont think he was to intersted either. I may try that again soon and see if he will eat them. Mot sure if theres much nutrition in them but it will probably add some fiber if nothing else. Of course my torts have very large enclosures with plenty of grass and weeds and other vegetation to eat.


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## Amanda81 (Nov 30, 2014)

So I'm confused. I thought they were toxic to tortoises. I have banana trees everywhere, I give 20-25 baby trees away every summer cause their popping up everywhere at my house. I just cut them down about an inch from the dirt after the first frost every fall, the following spring they pop right back up and there is usually 3-5 baby trees that come up around each larger tree. So I CAN attempt to feed my Sullys and leopard the leaves? I wanted to plant their outside enclosure with them for shade but didn't cause I swear someone said they were toxic. Of course it's to late now cause it's 20 degrees and I have cut them down but come spring/early summer, if these are safe for them to eat, I will send the baby's to whoever wants some.


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## Tyanna (Nov 30, 2014)

Maro2Bear said:


> Here is the guy i received mine from. They all grew well! Freezing overnight temps now, so all trimmed back and into the garage for a long Winter's nap.
> 
> http://www.greenhousebusiness.com/bananaplants.html




I never received mine, not sure if they even charged me. I'll have to look into what happened.


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