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- Thread starter Vince
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Welcome! Sorry...I'm not familiar with either of those species of plant. Could they go by another name perhaps?
Both are butterfly and hummingbird attractors that's why I have them. Firespike is Odontonema strictum native to Central America and Mexican sunflower is called Tithonia diversifolia native to Mexico I'm guessing. I put a firespike leaf on the ground and one of my girls gobbled it up. Then I put a Mexican sunflower leaf on the ground and she gobbled it up. So I put a pink porter weed leaf on the ground and she bit it but wouldn't eat it. I had a porter weed in the enclosure before and they ignored it. I've searched a lot but cannot find any info about them. So before allowing them to eat more I wanted to ask the Forum.
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the Forum [emoji4]
Thank you
Welcome! I don't know but hopefully someone else does.
Welcome! I don't know but hopefully someone else does.
Welcome
One of the primary reference tools for edible (or not) plants is The Tortoise Table
I checked the Mx sunflower... not listed.
Feed carefully until you confirm thst they are indeed good and not toxic.
Happy torting
One of the primary reference tools for edible (or not) plants is The Tortoise Table
I checked the Mx sunflower... not listed.
Feed carefully until you confirm thst they are indeed good and not toxic.
Happy torting
Thank you all for welcoming me. I've spent hours reviewing safe plant list. I have tried to acquire as many known safe plants as possible for planting inside enclosure. I have noticed some contradictions as well. Have noticed my torts ignoring some plants completely and I just can't keep them from destroying some. Some of their favorites are drawf ruellia, florida pusley(do not see on list) roselle and pothos. Pothos grows through the fence from neighbors yard and it stays trimmed back. Although if you get pothos juice on your skin when doing yardwork like trimming your hedge your skin blisters and is very uncomfortable for days, strange they like it. Vince
Welcome to the Forum, Vince.
Sorry, can't help with the plants.
Sorry, can't help with the plants.
Welcome to the forum!
The best place to get plant answers is in the subforum dedicated to diet and plant identification.
There are plenty of foods that aren’t in the Tortoise Table database but that *are* fed by members. Since the Tortoise Table database is built on plants available in the United Kingdom they don’t always reflect what’s available in other places of the world. Often you can do a search in the diet section for a plant and get plenty of answers (Florida pusley comes to mind). Or post a new question of your own.
For now, I’m afraid I can’t find any information on Mexican sunflower; the tithonia genus is unfamiliar to me.
Firespike is in the Acanthaceae family. I don’t find many references. It’s a genus of the acanthaceae family. The most common plant in this family that I can find is “bears breeches” which are safe to feed but it’s a stretch to think that means firespike is also safe.
It doesn’t mean either of them aren’t safe, but I don’t know enough to say that they are.
So for sure I’d post questions about these two in the diet thread, more specialists in there. I’d also include the words “Florida area” in the title, which may encourage Florida owners to take a look.
You’ve noticed contradictory information. That’s not unusual when it comes to plants. The Tortoise Table is very conservative, which is a good thing for new owners. But we don’t really know too much about the tortoise digestive system (yet); things that are bad for mammals may be just fine for them. I’m a casual feeder but many long time owners are not. Over time you’ll develop your own sense of what is safe to feed from your local area.
The best place to get plant answers is in the subforum dedicated to diet and plant identification.
There are plenty of foods that aren’t in the Tortoise Table database but that *are* fed by members. Since the Tortoise Table database is built on plants available in the United Kingdom they don’t always reflect what’s available in other places of the world. Often you can do a search in the diet section for a plant and get plenty of answers (Florida pusley comes to mind). Or post a new question of your own.
For now, I’m afraid I can’t find any information on Mexican sunflower; the tithonia genus is unfamiliar to me.
Firespike is in the Acanthaceae family. I don’t find many references. It’s a genus of the acanthaceae family. The most common plant in this family that I can find is “bears breeches” which are safe to feed but it’s a stretch to think that means firespike is also safe.
It doesn’t mean either of them aren’t safe, but I don’t know enough to say that they are.
So for sure I’d post questions about these two in the diet thread, more specialists in there. I’d also include the words “Florida area” in the title, which may encourage Florida owners to take a look.
You’ve noticed contradictory information. That’s not unusual when it comes to plants. The Tortoise Table is very conservative, which is a good thing for new owners. But we don’t really know too much about the tortoise digestive system (yet); things that are bad for mammals may be just fine for them. I’m a casual feeder but many long time owners are not. Over time you’ll develop your own sense of what is safe to feed from your local area.
Hello Rosemary thank you for all the info. It would be great to identify either of the two plants because I'm able to grow them without effort, they are good looking also. I'll add a post over in the plant identification section. Hopefully a couple plants everyone can enjoy.
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the Forum
Posting picture of these plants would be helpful.
Welcome to the Forum.
Welcome to the forum! I live a few hours north...west...of you.
I'm somewhat surprised your torts would develop a taste for pothos. For dogs and cats, it has just enough toxicity to taste bad, make them regurgitate it, and teach them (for the most part) not to eat it again. I don't think pothos would harm a healthy tortoise, unless the tortoise was eating a LOT of it on a frequent basis.
Hello pastel, I'm surprised myself because I've been rashed up real good up my arms before after stuffing a yard trashcan full of pothos while cleaning a hedge. Philodendron is on at least one safe to eat list I've seen but do not know what variety. Pothos belongs to that family. The stuff can grow out of control a I see it all the time when I'm walking around the neighborhood. ThanksWelcome to the forum! I live a few hours north...west...of you.
I'm somewhat surprised your torts would develop a taste for pothos. For dogs and cats, it has just enough toxicity to taste bad, make them regurgitate it, and teach them (for the most part) not to eat it again. I don't think pothos would harm a healthy tortoise, unless the tortoise was eating a LOT of it on a frequent basis.
