plants for a new outdoor leopard enclosure

Status
Not open for further replies.

fordohio

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
20
Hi all.

I'm planning/designing a new outdoor enclosure for our leopard Titus. I haven't even decided the area we are going to use but I am trying to do some research on what to plant. We are in between zone 5-6 in the USA.

I have seen numerous posts that tortoises like Hibiscus but from what I have read they don't appear to make it thru the winter here.

So Titus and I are looking for some reccomendations of plants that will do well and will be tasty.
 

Itort

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
2,343
Location (City and/or State)
Iowa
The Hibiscus you want are Rose of Sharon (a bush) and Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) also called swamp rose-mallow or just rose mallow (this is a perennial). Both of these are highly popular with torts. I live in Iowa on the northern edge of zone 5. If the area is sunny and well drained, prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa is very hardy) is another good choice. I like wild roses for shelter and food (both fruit and blossums). Concord grapes are good on enclosure walls.
 

Jentortmom

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,445
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
I have hibiscus, but have yet to be able to keep them through the winter. I use grape vines, roses, geraniums, you can also get seeds at various vendors and plant them right as the snow melts and most grow quickly. check out www.russiantortoise.org , they have a large list of edible plants you could use.
 

fordohio

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
20
Thanks guys! Keep the reccomendations coming.

I've been reading and I think I'll get some of the weed/grass seed to plant.
 

fordohio

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
20
Thanks Anja. I have read it before. My problem was there were so many listed and I have almost no experience with plants. I didn't know which ones would live in my area.
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
This is an idea, which you might want to try because there are just so many wonderful plants to choose from. Go thru those lists and pick out some plants you enjoy. Then come back in here and we can give you our thoughts on how they do for us.

Another thought is this, do you have friends and family in the area? If so check to see what plants they may have that you can take starts from, that also happen to be good for torts. Saves money, makes a connection between them, you and your torts, some fond memories, plus the biggest thing is then you have plants that thrive in your very location.

For some it works to make copies of the lists and go to a nearby garden center. See what they have that catches your eye and see if it's on the list. Then check the pricing. :D Usually the WalMarts type stores and Menard/Lowes/Home Depot type stores are a bit cheaper. You might not have the large selection of colors or quality. I might go with the more beautiful $40 plant if I were putting it in with a small tort, but if he is already a 50# plant demolisher, I think I might stick with ones costing $12. :D

For me, I think every one of my pens have the Hardy Hibiscus, hostas, grape vine, and daylilies. Most also have an Althea bush (Rose of Sharon), dandies, clover and roses. These eight make up the major back bone plants in the pens. After that each pen has a different planting scheme, which depends on what turtle/tort lives there and even how large they are.
 

fordohio

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
20
I see now that hostas are on the list now. I didn't see them before. We have several different kinds of hosta on our property. I thought previously I had heard they were toxic though. Has anyone had issues with them?
 

Itort

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
2,343
Location (City and/or State)
Iowa
Hostas are a good choice. They provide shade, shelter, food, and attract slugs (a real plus for forest torts and box turtles). One thing you want to do with the plants is protect the main plant stem from torts or they will destroy the entire plant. One way you can find plants on the list suitable to your area is google the plant for growing directions, they usually tell you what zone they grow in, in your case zone 5 would be good. All of the plant mentioned so far are appriate to zone 5 (I also live in zone 5 and have grown most of them).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top