Mystery invader in my outdoor tortoise enclosure

[Michael Bird]

I don't know what this thing is as there doesn't seem to be anything like it in any of the nearby yards, but it grew VERY quickly. I'm not sure exactly when it started growing but I know for certain that it was not there at all two weekends ago, and now it's already almost as tall as the Rose of Sharon plant next to it (about two feet tall). I'm curious if anyone knows what it is, so I can know if I should let it grow, or if I should pull it out before my Hermann's Tortoise decides to try eating it.

All of the other seemingly random green ground cover plants are from the Broadleaf Testudo Seed Mix from TortoiseSupply. I would assume that if this thing was also from the seed mix that there would be more growing, but it's the only thing like it.

The LeafSnap mobile app thinks that it could be Garlic, or Stinking Iris, or Spring Snowflake, or Corn, or Winter Daffodil, or Onion, or a bunch of other possibilities. I'm hoping one of you can give me a better guess than that.

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like a member of the corn family.

 

[RosemaryDW]

It's problematic to identify with that other shrub behind it. I don't think it's onion or garlic, the closest thing might be daffodil. All of those plants are bulb plants so whether you can identify it now or not, bulb plants are not something you want in the enclosure. I know my daffodil well enough to know she'd ignore it but as you aren't sure, it should come out.

I'm confident it didn't come in your seed mix.

 

[Len B]

To me it looks like something that grows from wild bird seed. I don't know what it is but if you let it grow and go to seed you will recognize the seed.

 

[EricW]

To me it looks like something that grows from wild bird seed. I don't know what it is but if you let it grow and go to seed you will recognize the seed.

Sorghum?

 

[Len B]

Sorghum?

I just searched sorghum and yes the seed cluster looks like what I've had grow here in the past.

 

[zovick]

I don't know what this thing is as there doesn't seem to be anything like it in any of the nearby yards, but it grew VERY quickly. I'm not sure exactly when it started growing but I know for certain that it was not there at all two weekends ago, and now it's already almost as tall as the Rose of Sharon plant next to it (about two feet tall). I'm curious if anyone knows what it is, so I can know if I should let it grow, or if I should pull it out before my Hermann's Tortoise decides to try eating it.

All of the other seemingly random green ground cover plants are from the Broadleaf Testudo Seed Mix from TortoiseSupply. I would assume that if this thing was also from the seed mix that there would be more growing, but it's the only thing like it.

The LeafSnap mobile app thinks that it could be Garlic, or Stinking Iris, or Spring Snowflake, or Corn, or Winter Daffodil, or Onion, or a bunch of other possibilities. I'm hoping one of you can give me a better guess than that.

View attachment 358972

I agree with Yvonne. This looks like corn which is in the grass family. I would not worry about my tortoises eating it, though they probably would not even try to eat it anyway once it got to the size of yours.

Let it grow and see if it gets tassels on the top. Then you'll know it's some variety of corn.

 

[EricW]

It is either corn or sorghum. Hard to tell when young, at least for me it is. Chances are, if you aren't feeding corn to anything or using it in any way, then I would say sorghum. Sorghum spreads a lot more easily in my experience and is spread by birds.

 

[Michael Bird]

There is a squirrel feeder with corn (and other things) not far away, so I guess it's possible that a bird or squirrel dropped a corn kernel in the enclosure. We have only been putting corn in the feeder for a few weeks, though, so it would have germinated very quickly.

There are lots of different types of seeds in the various feeders around the yard. I don't recall anything that looks like sorghum seeds, but I'll check the packages to see if any of the mixes contain sorghum. We've been using the other mixes for a few months so that might be a more likely possibility.

 

[EricW]

There is a squirrel feeder with corn (and other things) not far away, so I guess it's possible that a bird or squirrel dropped a corn kernel in the enclosure. We have only been putting corn in the feeder for a few weeks, though, so it would have germinated very quickly.

There are lots of different types of seeds in the various feeders around the yard. I don't recall anything that looks like sorghum seeds, but I'll check the packages to see if any of the mixes contain sorghum. We've been using the other mixes for a few months so that might be a more likely possibility.

It would be listed as milo. Redish brown seed. It is a top ingredient of most general bird seeds.

 

[Michael Bird]

I see lots of the reddish milo seeds in one of the birdseed mixes, so that's probably the source. I found several more sprouting up so I pulled them out just because I don't want 'unauthorized' plants in the enclosure.

I'm having a lovely battle with bindweed, too. A recent windstorm apparently blew seeds all over the neighborhood from a vacant house that is overgrown with the stuff. I know that it's edible in moderation, and the flowers are pretty, but I don't want to let it have a chance to take over everything so I've been pulling the roots out whenever I notice them.

 

[EricW]

I see lots of the reddish milo seeds in one of the birdseed mixes, so that's probably the source. I found several more sprouting up so I pulled them out just because I don't want 'unauthorized' plants in the enclosure.

I'm having a lovely battle with bindweed, too. A recent windstorm apparently blew seeds all over the neighborhood from a vacant house that is overgrown with the stuff. I know that it's edible in moderation, and the flowers are pretty, but I don't want to let it have a chance to take over everything so I've been pulling the roots out whenever I notice them.

I've had a few plants that had a chance to take over and it was a pain to get them back in line or out of my yard. I still see some pop up here and there. I don't blame you.

 

[Cathie G]

S

It is either corn or sorghum. Hard to tell when young, at least for me it is. Chances are, if you aren't feeding corn to anything or using it in any way, then I would say sorghum. Sorghum spreads a lot more easily in my experience and is spread by birds.

I've had that plant and it grew a tassel like corn does from bird seed. It never grew an ear. Most of my wild bird feed has corn but I still don't know what it is..

 

[Cathie G]

S

I've had that plant and it grew a tassel like corn does from bird seed. It never grew an ear. Most of my wild bird feed has corn but I still don't know what that plant is.

And I've just looked up sorghum and it really does look like what I had. Wow what a beneficial plant. It's an edible grain for people too. So good for the environment. I don't think you'd want it to takeover a tortoise enclosure though I say transplant it 😊