Are these safe

[wayne.bob]

my sister got these plants and i just wanted to know if they would be safe for my Russian torts to eat.

Carnation/ Chabaud Giant
Columbine/ Dragonfly Hybrids

thanks for your thoughts

 

[Crazy1]

I didn't see carnation on the list but columbine is on several, so Do Not feed them to your Torts.
http://www.wonderland.com/~teddy/tortoise/tort_non_food.html

 

[wayne.bob]

thanks

 

[Jentortmom]

my sister got these plants and i just wanted to know if they would be safe for my Russian torts to eat.

Carnation/ Chabaud Giant
Columbine/ Dragonfly Hybrids

thanks for your thoughts

I also did not see them on my lists of edible plants, so I wouldn't give them. Try hibiscus or day lilies (I'll double check to make sure it is day lilies) My russians love them, they climb up them to get to the hibiscus flowers. Also try holychock, English daisys.

 

[Itort]

Daylilies are fine.

 

[Jentortmom]

I thought that is what they were, my russians devour them and in the fall I break them off and then in the spring they grow back.

 

[wayne.bob]

is the whole dayliliy edible or just the flower?

 

[Itort]

The whole plant is eatable and wayne.bob you are in a great location to get some. They have gone wild in Iowa and can collect plants out ditches on section roads.

 

[wayne.bob]

I know, i am blessed with living in Iowa, the greatest State of all. lol

 

[Itort]

Shoeless Joe Jackson: Is this Heaven? Ray Kunsala: No, it's Iowa.

 

[Itort]

If you're speaking of the houseplant or garden plant (also called spiderwort) , both are fine.

 

[wayne.bob]

O.K. here is another question for all of you Tort/plant geniuses.
is there things to look for on or in a plant that lets you know it is safe or not?
otherwise how do you know if something is safe for the tort to eat?

 

[Itort]

Well among the sources I check are USDA PLANT lists, Various state extension forage lists, natural history studies on various species (field study treatses), personal observation of native turtles (unfornately I have never lived in an area with torts), and thirtysome years with a trio of RFs as instructors. I also pick the brains of fellow keepers such as you are doing and talking with neighbors who's experience with the the enviornment in several cases goes back or went back to the turnof the last century (preTV ).