DIPLADENIA CLIMBING VINE

[Carol S]

I cannot find out if a Dipladenia climbing vine (Rio Grande Red) is toxic to tortoises.

 

[LeahK]

I think this is the plant? If so, it is toxic. The tortoise table is good for looking at these things if you can't find it elsewhere.

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

 

[TisMary]

I cannot find out if a Dipladenia climbing vine (Rio Grande Red) is toxic to tortoises.

Apparently, the genus Dipladenia has now been reclassified into the genus Mandevilla. It happens (with increasing frequency, it seems ?) now that DNA sequencing has gone mainstream among botanists!

Fun facts: The genus Mandevilla belongs to the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) Family and is native from Arizona to Texas. Almost all members of this Family are poisonous to some extent (they didn't name it Dogbane for nuthin').

Any time you see a vine you're not sure about, check out these patterns found in members of this Family:

• opposite leaves (growing across from one another at the same node on the stem, with two leaves per node),
• milky juice or sap (if you snap the stem)
• "tubular" flowers (think trumpet) with parts in "5's" (5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens)

I agree with @Russiantort777 on using the Tortoise Table Plant Database. If what you're looking for isn't there, you might also try a google search with the plant name (try to stick with the genus/species Latin names), followed by the word "toxic", or "toxicity", or "poison".

Keep up the good work looking for free-food-foraged-from-the-field!