Edible Landscaping in Arizona

[chosen2030]

Hi all,

Just wondering if any of you have suggestions or experience with landscaping in the AZ desert or similar desert climates?

The area I would be landscaping is full sun to partial shade and has it's own sprinkler heads.

 

[John]

optunia would probably due well

 

[DeanS]

Definitely opuntia...elephant grass is good...hibiscus, rose of sharon...and definitely a mulberry tree (the chapparal or 'weeping' mulberry is best...they don't get huge and they bear no fruit). Find a spot you can isolate and grow some red apple ice plant...and for a little color around the place, try growing some ganzia...a type of African daisy...hope that helps.

 

[chosen2030]

Very helpful. I actually have some optunia, dandelion, and hibiscus growing out there already. Are any varieties of hibiscus not ok? What about sage? Agave? Any kinds of roses?

Please keep the suggestions coming. The more I have to try, the better luck I'm bound to have in the long run.

 

[DeanS]

There are only a couple ssp of agave that are good...the rest are iffy. All hibiscus is good...leaves and flowers! Here's a great place to fill all your (torts) dietary needs...

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

 

[TortieLuver]

Hello Chosen2030: I am also in Arizona and here are some ideas

Plants:
Hoary abutilon
Arizona cottontop grass
Bamboo muhly grass
Blue grama grass
Buckwheats
Cassia
Curly mesquite grass
Deer grass
Desert four-o'clock
Desert honeysuckle
Desert senna
Desert willow
Evening primrose
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
morning glory
plantain
prickly pear (fruit and pads)
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Spurges
Trailing four-o'clock
Vine mesquite grass

Produce:
Barley
Bearn sprouts (mung)
Beet greens
Bok choy
Carrot greens
Cilantro
Collard greens
Endive
Kale
Mustard greens
Parsley
Radicchio
String beans
Snow peas
Spinach
Turnip greens
dark green/red lettuce or romaine

Healthy foods
Alfalfa/bermuda/timothy (fresh or hay)
Bluegrass lawn
Cantaloupe leaves
clover
Dandelion greens
Grape leaves and shoots
Mulberry leaves
Pumpkine leaves
Rose petals
Watercress
Zucchini/Squash leaves

Avoid:
Avacado
Cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Mushrooms
Any protein rich foods
Chinaberry berries

 

[chosen2030]

Hello Chosen2030: I am also in Arizona and here are some ideas

Plants:
Hoary abutilon
Arizona cottontop grass
Bamboo muhly grass
Blue grama grass
Buckwheats
Cassia
Curly mesquite grass
Deer grass
Desert four-o'clock
Desert honeysuckle
Desert senna
Desert willow
Evening primrose
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
morning glory
plantain
prickly pear (fruit and pads)
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Spurges
Trailing four-o'clock
Vine mesquite grass

Have you had success planting all of these and keeping them alive throughout the year?

---

There are only a couple ssp of agave that are good...the rest are iffy. All hibiscus is good...leaves and flowers! Here's a great place to fill all your (torts) dietary needs...

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

Thanks. I've actually been to this site and it's great, but I was hoping to narrow down the list - it's a little overwhelming and I'm not sure what on that list will actually grow in the AZ desert.

 

[DeanS]

Uh...morning glory is toxic!

 

[TortieLuver]

Yes, they actually all seem to grow well in AZ (I only have trouble with the dandelion weeds...go figure). We also have a ton of roses here that we feed them as well. The Jade plant is great too, expensive to buy, but grows well and is a succulent.

 

[dmarcus]

Before I moved from Las Vegas, Opuntia grew very well and yes morning glory is not something you want to grow, toxic like Dean said..

 

[TortieLuver]

My vet who is well known to tortoises, even featured in Richard Fife's book, says that morning glory is edible???

---

So my vet helps out Reptile Specialists and the Desert Museum and he created this site I have attached and it has morning glory on it. This sheet is then passed to all of our local nurseries for ALL Tortoises.

APPENDIX III: TORTOISE DIET
Care, Husbandry and Diet of the Desert Tortoise

(Information provided by Sonora Animal Hospital, 410 W. Simmons Rd., Tucson, AZ 85705 Telephone: [520] 888-8988 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting [520] 888-8988 end_of_the_skype_highlighting)
A diet composed of an assortment of these plants is nutritionally complete; additional vitamin, calcium or other mineral supplementation is not necessary and may be harmful. All tortoises must be kept outside, as temperatures permit, to insure adequate exposure to UVB to maintain normal calcium metabolism.

Native Growing Plants
cassia (senna), spurge, globe mallow, other mallows, prickly pear fruit, rock hibiscus, prickly pear pads, morning glory, trailing 4 o'clock, buckwheat, plantain

Native Grasses
Arizona cottontop, bamboo muhly, deer grass, curly mesquite

Other Growing Plants
bermuda grass (tiff), sweet peas, dichondra, nasturtium, alfalfa, petunias, clover

Produce
Produce is generally less nutritious than the other foods listed and should only be fed when other foods are unavailable or as an occasional supplement.

Acceptable produce:
beet greens, green beans, bok choy, kale, cilantro, mustard greens, dandelion greens, collard greens, parsley, endive, spinach, snow peas, turnip greens

Other Recommended Foods
grape leaves, mulberry leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, rose petals, hay (alfalfa, bermuda, timothy or combinations)

© 2006-2011 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona 85743 U.S.A.

Directions, Hours & Rates Phone: (520) 883-2702 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (520) 883-2702 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Email: [email protected]

Printable Version

 

[dmarcus]

Morning glory is toxic for Sulcata's and Leopards so I would think that it would be the same for other desert dwelling torts.

 

[chosen2030]

Yes, they actually all seem to grow well in AZ (I only have trouble with the dandelion weeds...go figure). We also have a ton of roses here that we feed them as well. The Jade plant is great too, expensive to buy, but grows well and is a succulent.

What kinds of roses?

---

Christy and Dean - are most of the plants mentioned on those lists available @ nurseries or do they need to be grown from seed?

 

[TortieLuver]

Yes, many nurseries have these plants but I would try Lowes home improvement first, as their prices are much more reasonable.

 

[Angi]

What about Cape Cod Honey Suckle? It seems to take the heat here and need very little water. I didn't see it listed, but my guys like it. I feed new rose leaves and petals once in awhile

 

[Angi]

What about Cape Cod Honey Suckle? It seems to take the heat here and need very little water. I didn't see it listed, but my guys like it. I feed new rose leaves and petals once in awhile

 

[Az tortoise compound]

Very helpful. I actually have some optunia, dandelion, and hibiscus growing out there already. Are any varieties of hibiscus not ok? What about sage? Agave? Any kinds of roses?

Please keep the suggestions coming. The more I have to try, the better luck I'm bound to have in the long run.

I would add a grape vine (most nurseries), mallow(from seed), ruellia(any nursery) and clover(from seed). They all grow quickly and produce lots of food for your torts. The Ruellia bloom almost everyday for 8+ months and our animals love the purple flowers.

Check out RSI growers in Glendale ( www.rsigrowers.com ). Reed is a wealth of information and has the best cactus collection I have ever seen.

 

[chosen2030]

Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge. I can't wait to pick up some of these plants.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Hello Chosen2030: I am also in Arizona and here are some ideas

Plants:
Hoary abutilon
Arizona cottontop grass
Bamboo muhly grass
Blue grama grass
Buckwheats
Cassia
Curly mesquite grass
Deer grass
Desert four-o'clock
Desert honeysuckle
Desert senna
Desert willow
Evening primrose
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
morning glory
plantain
prickly pear (fruit and pads)
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Spurges
Trailing four-o'clock
Vine mesquite grass

Produce:
Barley
Bearn sprouts (mung)
Beet greens
Bok choy
Carrot greens
Cilantro
Collard greens
Endive
Kale
Mustard greens
Parsley
Radicchio
String beans
Snow peas
Spinach
Turnip greens
dark green/red lettuce or romaine

Healthy foods
Alfalfa/bermuda/timothy (fresh or hay)
Bluegrass lawn
Cantaloupe leaves
clover
Dandelion greens
Grape leaves and shoots
Mulberry leaves
Pumpkine leaves
Rose petals
Watercress
Zucchini/Squash leaves

Avoid:
Avacado
Cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Mushrooms
Any protein rich foods
Chinaberry berries

This is all such good information for Arizonans. I am wondering if there is anyway to preserve the cactus blossms, yucca blossoms, palo verde, etc. to save for the winter? Drying? Freezing?

 

[DeanS]

This is all such good information for Arizonans. I am wondering if there is anyway to preserve the cactus blossms, yucca blossoms, palo verde, etc. to save for the winter? Drying? Freezing?

When you say blossoms, are you talking about fruit and flowers...or the new growth pads? If pads, they can be harvested and kept for weeks...sometimes months. The fruit and flowers...not so much! The very large prickly pear, however, can last a month or so in the refrigerator.