Plant ID

innocent

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Joined
Sep 18, 2022
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Location (City and/or State)
Acton, Ca
Does anyone know this plant? I can't seem to figure out if it's safe for the torts.

Southern California 93510 at 3000' elevation.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

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Yvonne G

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Reminds me of fiddleneck, in which case, the seeds build up toxicity in the body.
 

innocent

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2022
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Location (City and/or State)
Acton, Ca
Reminds me of fiddleneck, in which case, the seeds build up toxicity in the body.
Oh yea I think you are right. I removed them from the tortoises reach. They spread into a larger area on my property then usual, must be the rain. Thank you for the help.
 

Tom

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Does anyone know this plant? I can't seem to figure out if it's safe for the torts.

Southern California 93510 at 3000' elevation.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Yep. FIddleneck. I've researched it a bunch. It appears that the early leaves and stems are not toxic, but the seeds heads are. Other sources just list the whole thing as toxic. This plant has been expanding into our area a lot in the last few years and this year it made it into my tortoise pens. I've been pulling it out by the root every day for months now.

I don't know exactly how toxic it is, but a recent visitor told me that one of his sulcatas seemed to like to eat it a lot, before he realized how toxic it was, and it killed his tortoise eventually. I don't see mine eating it, but I remove it whenever I see it anyway.

Best I can tell is that it is native to our area, but I don't know if the wild DTs eat it or not.
 

innocent

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Joined
Sep 18, 2022
Messages
63
Location (City and/or State)
Acton, Ca
If this is the plant I think it is it dries out and gets all thorny. It has been on my property but never in so much abundance near my torts. I pulled as much as I could find. I will keep up on it it is a real obvious looking plant. Glad I asked about them because my first instinct was the torts can eat them haha.
 

innocent

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2022
Messages
63
Location (City and/or State)
Acton, Ca
There is also this pictured similar flower all over my Torts area. I don't know what it is either. Flower is similar but the rest of the plant is different. If anyone knows if it's OK I would appreciate the info? I haven't removed any yet.
 

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