Can Russian tortoise eat hibiscus

Rupert102

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Can Russian tortoises eat hibiscus leaves and flowers? Specific species Hibiscus rosa-sinensis,Ps I’m new to the forum and still learning how to use the platform, thanks!

edit; I plan on growing hibiscus for my little dude
 

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jsheffield

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Mine eats. and loves, hibiscus leaves and flowers... also dandelion and plantains (weeds that grow on lawns in our part of the world).

Jamie
 

Tom

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Can Russian tortoises eat hibiscus leaves and flowers? Specific species Hibiscus rosa-sinensis,Ps I’m new to the forum and still learning how to use the platform, thanks!

edit; I plan on growing hibiscus for my little dude
Yes, but you can't use store bought hibiscus because they are grown with systemic pesticides that can last a year in their tissues. You have to use cuttings from long established plants, or re-pot them and wait a year or more.
 

jUMPSu1t

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My two Russian torts love hibiscus and sweet potato. We have hibiscus plants in our backyard and pick them in the summer, but make sure if you use your own hibiscus that they don’t have aphids .
 

Kipley

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My two Russian torts love hibiscus and sweet potato. We have hibiscus plants in our backyard and pick them in the summer, but make sure if you use your own hibiscus that they don’t have aphids .
Are aphids toxic if a tortoise eats them? I've seen people warn against aphids twice now, but don't know the reason?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Are aphids toxic if a tortoise eats them? I've seen people warn against aphids twice now, but don't know the reason?
No. They are harmless.
My Redfoot eat the leaves and flowers, Aphids. Spiders and all.
Aphids are only dangerous to the plant.
They can wipe out a whole bush.
That's exactly why nurseries treat them with pesticides.
 

jsheffield

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When I brought my hibiscus plants inside with the coming of the cold, they experienced an explosion of their aphid population. I found an organic spray that is rated safe for use up to the day of harvest with human consumers and used it to pretty amazing effect. I still wash off the flowers before feeding them to my torts (although the spray didn't say you had to); I treated the aphid outbreak mostly because I worried it would slow down the plant, not poison the torts.

Jamie
 
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