Are the leaves and flowers of these plants edible for my Western Hermann's?

[Astrid37]

Hello!

I would appreciate any help that can be provided about the edibleness of the following for my Western Hermann's girl. Many thanks in advance!!

1. Pennsylvania Smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica) (not listed on the forum nor TT) - photo here: https://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=71495

2. Crabgrass (unclear from a search through this forum and not on TT)

3. Virginia Mercury (Acalypha virginica (not listed on this forum nor TT) - photo here: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/va_mercury.htm

4. Virginia Buttonweed (unclear from this forum and not on TT) photo here- https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/help/plant-guide/south-region/

5. Lespedeza weed (unclear from a search through this forum and not on TT) - photo at the bottom of this link -

https://virginiagreen.com/resources-for-your-lawn/common-weeds/

 

[TisMary]

Hello!

I would appreciate any help that can be provided about the edibleness of the following for my Western Hermann's girl. Many thanks in advance!!

1. Pennsylvania Smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica) (not listed on the forum nor TT) - photo here: https://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=71495

2. Crabgrass (unclear from a search through this forum and not on TT)

3. Virginia Mercury (Acalypha virginica (not listed on this forum nor TT) - photo here: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/va_mercury.htm

4. Virginia Buttonweed (unclear from this forum and not on TT) photo here- https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/help/plant-guide/south-region/

5. Lespedeza weed (unclear from a search through this forum and not on TT) - photo at the bottom of this link -

https://virginiagreen.com/resources-for-your-lawn/common-weeds/

Hi @Astrid37 - thank you for the legwork you did on these plants! Not sure we'll find much for #2, "crabgrass" unless you can come up with a botanical name. It seems to be a catch-all phrase for any grass you don't want growing in your lawn!

As for Pennsylvania Smartweed, I did find he genera Persicaria as well as Acalyphain the TT Plant Database (hey're not good). Sometimes, if you're too specific in your search criteria there, it doesn't generate a hit. For example, I didn't find "Persicaria pensylvanica" - the last part (the species name) makes it too specific as a search. So I just went with the Genus name instead. As a general rule, if one species of a genus is toxic, there's a better than even chance any species in that genus is too, so I'd say "no" to 1 and 3.

Ran out of time on the others. You might try a google search with the name followed by the word "toxic" or "poison" to see if you come up with anything.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I feed “crab grass” all the time to our Sully. In fact. most of our “lawn” is a mish mash of crab grass, dandelion, and other misc weeds.

 

[Astrid37]

Hi @Astrid37 - thank you for the legwork you did on these plants! Not sure we'll find much for #2, "crabgrass" unless you can come up with a botanical name. It seems to be a catch-all phrase for any grass you don't want growing in your lawn!

As for Pennsylvania Smartweed, I did find he genera Persicaria as well as Acalyphain the TT Plant Database (hey're not good). Sometimes, if you're too specific in your search criteria there, it doesn't generate a hit. For example, I didn't find "Persicaria pensylvanica" - the last part (the species name) makes it too specific as a search. So I just went with the Genus name instead. As a general rule, if one species of a genus is toxic, there's a better than even chance any species in that genus is too, so I'd say "no" to 1 and 3.

Ran out of time on the others. You might try a google search with the name followed by the word "toxic" or "poison" to see if you come up with anything.

Thanks so very much for your thorough response and the tip about the genus, too! Very good to know!!

 

[RosemaryDW]

I don’t like to be a downer but the information in the Tortoise Table is often out of date or based on dubious science. It’s okay to avoid plants it says are “bad” if you are a new or extremely cautious owner but you will find plenty of experienced owners who ignore it. I’m one of them although I’ll certainly take a look there to get a Latin name for further research or look at one of the several good pictures they offer. Since it’s based on plants in the U.K. you won’t always find a match for plants that grow elsewhere, don’t worry if you can’t find it there.

Since you haven’t provided your own photos I can’t claim to identify anything properly but I’ll give it a shot based on the names.

Our most advanced plant expert, Lochroma, calls all the knotweeds fine, although probably not interesting.

Virginia mercury is a spurge and plants in this family are best avoided unless your tortoise is native to the area in which it grows. Spurge is one of the few plant families I won’t feed at all.

Buttonweed is a plant we don’t have much info for but what we do have suggests it’s not good to feed. Your tortoise won’t get sick from a nibble or two but I wouldn’t keep it growing.

That last is a legume of some sort, listed in a family known as bush clover. Fine in limited amounts, like most legumes.

When I don’t know a plant—which is often—I’m more likely to start in this forum searching for the plant name to see what experienced owners say about it. I’ll also track down the Latin name but that’s more than some folks want to do.

As always, you don’t have to feed anything you’re not comfortable with.