Edible Flower Blossoms - Sainsbury’s??

[tortoisekev]

I appreciate that the best food is found in the garden, but I stumbled across these in Sainsbury’s and wondered if they could be given to tortoises?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings

First you want to ID all the flowers (like pansy aka viola) then look up in TheTortTable, for starters.

Example for the Pansies in your package..

• Common Name: Pansy
• Latin Name: Viola x wittrockiana/Viola tricolor hortensis
• Family Name: Violaceae

Although the Pansy and the Viola were originally distinct species within the Violaceae family, years of cross-breeding has meant that they are now genetically the same, and so the names are interchangeable. Although most Pansies and Violas are grown as garden plants, Viola tricolor (Heartsease, Johnny Jump Up) is a delightful wild flower.

The leaves and flowers of all Pansies and Violas are fine to feed to tortoises, although you should never feed leaves and flowers from plants you have just bought from a garden centre or florist, as they could be contaminated with insecticides - it is best to wait for new growth to feed.

 

[katieandiggy]

Wow I’ve never seen them before!!! Trip to Sainsbury’s tomorrow I think!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Another in there looks like dianthus/carnation..

• Common Name: Dianthus (Sweet William, Carnation, Pink, Pinks)
• Latin Name: Dianthus spp.
• Family Name: Caryophyllaceae

The Dianthus is high in saponins and could cause gastrointestinal upsets, but it can be given as a very small part of a varied diet. You should ensure that other plants that contain saponins are not fed at the same time.

 

[tortoisekev]

I have found this from Sainsbury's...

Grown by local producers in the Vale of Evesham, the brightly coloured edible flowers, including varieties such as tagete marigold, viola, dianthus, cornflowers, borage and nasturtium flowers.

Do you know what can/can't be eaten?

 

[Maro2Bear]

I have found this from Sainsbury's...

Grown by local producers in the Vale of Evesham, the brightly coloured edible flowers, including varieties such as tagete marigold, viola, dianthus, cornflowers, borage and nasturtium flowers.

Do you know what can/can't be eaten?

Just check them all against TheTortoiseTable - https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

There are other sources, but for your purposes, i think the Table is a good place to start.

Happy Torting