Malva

[fluffypanda17]

What part of the Malva plant is ok with tortoises? And which torts can eat it, and which can't?
Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a malva bush in my Manouria pen. They have never eaten any of it. The leaves and flowers are edible.

 

[Tom]

Is that a common name or scientific name? Malva is the genus for the two types of mallow that I feed to my tortoises for five months of every year. I feed them the whole plant. Flowers, stems, seed and leaves.

 

[fluffypanda17]

Malva is the genus of what I was planning on using. I bought Malva Sylvestris (Mauritanian) seeds and was planning on starting them then feeding the plant to my sulcatas. Thank you Tom. Once they're big enough (the plants) I will feed it to them.

---

I have a malva bush in my Manouria pen. They have never eaten any of it. The leaves and flowers are edible.

I may plant one in their pen and if they don't eat it I'll probably cut pieces off and throw it into the food dish. We will see!

 

[Tom]

I'm pretty sure the one I have is Malva neglecta, or "Common Mallow". I narrowed it down to two species, but both are listed as food. Not sure about the sylvesrtris.

 

[fluffypanda17]

I have a book on Redfoots and under edible plants it has only Malva sylvestris.

---

So now thats three species!

---

Http://redfoottortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

 

[Yvonne G]

The malva that fluffypanda is talking about is not a weed, but a landscape plant. The malva that Tom is talking about is in the malva family, but is definitely a weed, commonly called cheese weed.