Outdoor plants?

[Cassidy M.]

I am making an outdoor enclosure for my sulcata tortoise. I live in pheonix, Arizona and the temperatures get to be 110 in the summer and 40 in the winters at extremes. I am looking for a variety of plants that my tort can eat and that will be able to handle the temperatures. Can someone help?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Grasses. Bermuda grass is great, but mainly your going to need grasses. Hibiscus are okay too, but 40 might be a little cold! Spider plant might survive, just need a lot of water.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yeah. If Hibiscus will grow there, that is my #1 plant of choice!! The leaves. The flowers. All tortoise food. I've got them all over my yard. There are even wild iguanas that come around for some of it.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Depends on the hibiscus. Mine came with the warning to not go below 50. That's why it's in a pot and comes in for the winter where it continues to bloom. My daughter's hibiscus gets cut down to the ground for the winter & regrows in the spring.

You can always cover it when it's cold. I'd be more concerned about the heat and dryness. They are tropical, after all.

You might sink the pot in the ground for insulation and water preservation. Worth trying to grow hibiscus.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Depends on the hibiscus. Mine came with the warning to not go below 50. That's why it's in a pot and comes in for the winter where it continues to bloom. My daughter's hibiscus gets cut down to the ground for the winter & regrows in the spring.

You can always cover it when it's cold. I'd be more concerned about the heat and dryness. They are tropical, after all.

You might sink the pot in the ground for insulation and water preservation. Worth trying to grow hibiscus.

Think hibiscus would grow here, the temperatures may reach higher than 109.4 F I believe, I can always get hibiscus leaves from the supermarket... They are used in cooking but are expensive because they are shipped by planes from Lebanon, any tips?

 

[tortdad]

I use to live in Phx and had trouble with hibiscus unless it was planted on the north side of my property.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I use to live in Phx and had trouble with hibiscus unless it was planted on the north side of my property.

It's a burning desert here so will planting North make a difference? I think I should probably buy them from M&S

 

[tortdad]

It's a burning desert here so will planting North make a difference? I think I should probably buy them from M&S

I have no idea why the north side of the house worked. It may just be a fluke but all the other plants died. I replanted them and they died again. The ones I planted on the north side of the house were just fine.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Providing shade for the plants would help. I'm willing to experiment with plants, to modify in response to what's happening and to accept plant loss, and that is behind my suggestion. It might do better as a house plant where the temps are more moderate. Mine is indoors half the year & does fine indoors. Your outdoor season may be split into fall & spring. I'd run the experiment. You don't have to.

 

[Abdulla6169]

1. Temperature: Most important, a WARM place where their tropical origins are respected. It is often said that hibiscus like much the same conditions as people and with temperature, that is pretty much true. For best results and lots of blooms, hibiscus should be located where the temperature remains between 60 and 90 degrees most of the time. Short periods of either hot or cold will not injure them though they may show their displeasure by shedding a few leaves or dropping some developing flower buds.

If temperatures routinely drop below 50 degrees, particularly at night, most growth and blooming will stop until it warms up again. Flower size will become much smaller and the occasional blooms may also be misshapen. For more information on cool weather growing: "Hibiscus Care ~ Wintering Tropical Hibiscus".

Temperatures below freezing will injure hibiscus. Factors such as how cold and for how long, the age of the plant, and whether it is dehydrated determine how extensive the damage. Under 30 degrees for many hours will most likely kill the plant entirely. Such temperatures should be avoided.

Temperatures over 95 degrees will often cause most flower buds to drop off. Hibiscus can survive temperatures even as high as 115 degrees, provided they have adequate water. When the weather is hot, it is best to maintain a steady supply of water to the plant, rather than have it go through wet/dry cycles. For more info go to
http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/care/index.htm