Two weeds - safe for box turtles?!

johnsonnboswell

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No, I don't know its name. In my first post I said I see it around a lot but don't know what it's called. I'm curious, too.
 

Iochroma

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The first is Mirabilis jalapa, Marvel of Peru or Four O'clock.
Roots and seeds are very poisonous. Leaves are suspect.
I don't know if turtles can eat it and survive but I would avoid it.
The previous poster is correct on the second one as a form of ragweed.
While turtles will take advantage of it for cover, I have never seen one eat it.

I wonder on what you base your statement that Mirabilis is toxic?
The second plant does now look like a ragweed. Ambrosia species are not toxic, but their pollen is among the most allergenic in the world. It is important to eliminate them whenever you find them. This plant can endanger the lives of asthmatic persons.
 

domalle

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I wonder on what you base your statement that Mirabilis is toxic?
The second plant does now look like a ragweed. Ambrosia species are not toxic, but their pollen is among the most allergenic in the world. It is important to eliminate them whenever you find them. This plant can endanger the lives of asthmatic persons.

It is well known that all parts of common Four O'Clocks, Mirabilis jalapa, are toxic. Even a cursory internet search reveals that.
But as I stated earlier, I don't know if they are toxic to turtles.
Agreed, ragweed is a well-known culprit in allergy and respiratory illness.
 

Angel Carrion

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I wonder on what you base your statement that Mirabilis is toxic?
The second plant does now look like a ragweed. Ambrosia species are not toxic, but their pollen is among the most allergenic in the world. It is important to eliminate them whenever you find them. This plant can endanger the lives of asthmatic persons.
I found the four-o-clock plant under RED NO FEED TOXIC list on the tortoise table plant database. So fellow posters saying it's toxic combined with that made me pull the plants out and throw them into my fire pit for when next I light it.
I would have just replanted them elsewhere, but it turns out on the other side of my house they're going nuts, so more isn't really needed, haha.
Luckily no one with asthma lives with me, so as long as the pollen doesn't bother the turtles, it's staying. They love hiding in it.
 

Iochroma

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It is well known that all parts of common Four O'Clocks, Mirabilis jalapa, are toxic. Even a cursory internet search reveals that.
But as I stated earlier, I don't know if they are toxic to turtles.
Agreed, ragweed is a well-known culprit in allergy and respiratory illness.

You may not know that the flowers are commonly eaten, with no ill effects. I did find the two records of possible human adverse reactions; both were in the 1960's, and children who eat large numbers of seeds had digestive upset. Nothing since that. there is hardly a mention of this plant in all my toxic plant references, and no cases in the modern era. Other members of this family are inoffensive as well, and one was eaten as a vegetable by the Incas.
 

Angel Carrion

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You may not know that the flowers are commonly eaten, with no ill effects. I did find the two records of possible human adverse reactions; both were in the 1960's, and children who eat large numbers of seeds had digestive upset. Nothing since that. there is hardly a mention of this plant in all my toxic plant references, and no cases in the modern era. Other members of this family are inoffensive as well, and one was eaten as a vegetable by the Incas.
I wonder why it's on the TOXIC list on the tortoise table website, then.
 

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