samstar said:My tortoises eat the hibiscus leaves often, is it any good for them? What nutritional value does the leaf have that is beneficial for my torts?
N2TORTS said:The leaves and flowers have many key ingredients for the
digestive and kidney functions. The leaves have an acid, rhubarb-like flavor. …yes I’ve tried them
and contain two diuretic ingredients, ascorbic acid and glycolic acid.
Because it also contains citric acid, it can be used as a cooling herb,
providing relief during hot weather by increasing the flow of
blood to the skin's surface and dilating the pores to cool the
skin. The red calyces contain antioxidants including flavonoids, gossypetine, hibiscetine and sabdaretine. The fresh calyces are also rich in riboflavin,ascorbic acid, niacin,carotene, calcium, and iron. The seeds are high in protein….overall it is a wonderful plant for both persons and tort’s alike ~ all of my torts of different species enjoy them.
JD~
zesty_17 said:hibiscus also tends to have good levels of calcium also. great for torts!