How's This Plant Selection?

[SasquatchTortoise]

Hello anyone. I've been making plant selections for Luna (sulcata), but i've also been trying to keep the environment in mind as well, with native and/or beneficial plants. So far this is my list:
Grasses
I recently found this site
https://www.seedsource.com/
It has a lot of species of grass that I have considered growing for our sulcata, more specifically:
- Thunder Turf/ Habiturf which contains:
Buffalograss
Blue Grama
Curly Mesquite
- Shade Friendly Grass Mix which contains:
Purpletop
Inland Sea Oats
Prarie Wildrye
Side Oats Grama
Virginia Wildrye
Plains Bristlegrass
White Tridens
Southwestern Bristlegrass
Texas Wintergrass
-I've also considered plain Fescue or Buffalo grass
-Inland sea oats, American millet and Mexican feather grass as ornamentals
Other Plants
-Hardy Hibiscus
-Turk's Cap
-Prickly Pear (spineless variant)
-another Grape Vine
-Lilac
-I'm wondering about wildflowers... if anyone has info on them

Well that's all I can think of. Is there anything toxic I missed? Or maybe a really good plant? Thanks.

 

[Tom]

Hello anyone. I've been making plant selections for Luna (sulcata), but i've also been trying to keep the environment in mind as well, with native and/or beneficial plants. So far this is my list:
Grasses
I recently found this site
https://www.seedsource.com/
It has a lot of species of grass that I have considered growing for our sulcata, more specifically:
- Thunder Turf/ Habiturf which contains:
Buffalograss
Blue Grama
Curly Mesquite
- Shade Friendly Grass Mix which contains:
Purpletop
Inland Sea Oats
Prarie Wildrye
Side Oats Grama
Virginia Wildrye
Plains Bristlegrass
White Tridens
Southwestern Bristlegrass
Texas Wintergrass
-I've also considered plain Fescue or Buffalo grass
-Inland sea oats, American millet and Mexican feather grass as ornamentals
Other Plants
-Hardy Hibiscus
-Turk's Cap
-Prickly Pear (spineless variant)
-another Grape Vine
-Lilac
-I'm wondering about wildflowers... if anyone has info on them

Well that's all I can think of. Is there anything toxic I missed? Or maybe a really good plant? Thanks.

Don't buy ANY seed that is meant for lawns or turf. Only buy seed that is meant for grazing pasture animals.

Hibiscus, grape vines, and spineless opuntia varieties are all good. I don't know about the rest of those. Some wildflowers are toxic, so use caution.

 

[SasquatchTortoise]

Don't buy ANY seed that is meant for lawns or turf. Only buy seed that is meant for grazing pasture animals.

Hibiscus, grape vines, and spineless opuntia varieties are all good. I don't know about the rest of those. Some wildflowers are toxic, so use caution.

Oh yeah... forgot about that

 

[SasquatchTortoise]

Turks Cap is part of the mallow family, which includes hibiscus. Almost everything in the family seems to be safe according to the Tortoise Table. Lilac is also listed as 'safe'. Feather grass seems safe, but i'm afraid it may take over. As for inland sea oats, I don't see why they wouldn't be safe, but they have large rhizomes, and I know that rhizomes can absorb excess nutrients like phosphorous, so I'll keep it out of her enclosure just in case.

I found evidence buffalo grass and little bluestem are safe. I found buffalo for sale here and little bluestem here. Both were advertised as "good for grazing and landscaping."

Wildflowers: I've decided to only go with cosmos/ Mexican aster. It's the only major wildflower that seems to be safe (besides dandelion). I will plant wildflowers elsewhere, and if I find any edible ones in the future, I may use them.