ANNOUNCEMENT! 

We've been made aware of a Sulcata related web site owner having copied, and taken some of the information contained on this page (and others) from here at Turtle Cafe.  This theft of information occurred some time ago, and we are pursuing this matter legally. 

If you should see a similar list looking like this one elsewhere, please do NOT rely in it, as it is outdated and does list plants which are potentially dangerous to tortoises.

 

 

 

Healthy fresh tortoise foods are in abundance everywhere - you just need to know what to look for.
This list is intended to serve as a guide to identifying natural foods, as easy and painlessly as possible.
Remember to use only plants and grasses from chemical free sources. 

 

Some plants listed aren't favored by tortoises, but are safe to use in their environments.


Some plants have been cross-referenced with various sources including the links when possible.
Click on the Latin name to the right, for a picture of the plant


Key:

Sp.= species  Spp= multiple species  L= Leaves   F= Flowers  FR= Fruit S= Stems  R= Root

The plants with * beside it, are known to be some of healthier choices.

~~ Native food source for African species
~~ Native food source for American Gopherus species

Copyright Turtle Cafe, Turtlecafe.com 1999-2008 All Rights Reserved

 

 

This page is updated often. If you don't see a plant listed, please feel free to contact us!

 

 

CULTIVATED PLANTS

 

Alyssum-  Lobularia maritima L/F
Aster- Asteracae F
Baby's Tears - Soleirolia soleirolii -  Helxine soleirolii
Bouganvillea - Bouganvillea-landscaping
Bridal Veil - Tripogandra multiflora-landscaping
Bromeliads -
Bromeliaceae spp
landscaping
Carnation - Dianthus caryophyllus landscaping
Chamomile- F
Chinese Lantern,
Abutilon hybridum- F
Coleus- Coleus-landscaping
Chrysanthemum-
spp- F
~~ *Coreopsis- Giganta/ tinctoria/atkinsoniana / calliopsidea L/F
Cornflower- 
Plagiobothrys ssp. F
Dahlia -
pinnata / rosea-landscaping

 Day Lilies- Hemerocallis L/F - Easter or Tiger Lilies are toxic!
Daisy- English-  Bellis perennis -F
*Dichondra - repens- L
Forsythia -
Forsythia suspensa
Fuschia - Fuschia
~~
Gazania Spp L/F
~~
Geranium-(Pelargonium species) L/F (wild and domestic)
*
Grape Vine - vitaceae & berberidaceae L/F
Heather- (Ericaceae sp) L/F landscaping
*Hibiscus L/F
Hollyhock- 
Alcea rosea- F
Hosta - L/F
Ice plant - Sedum spectabilis, album 
Jasmine -
Jasminum officinale: J. grandifloum landscaping
Johnny Jump-Up -
Viola tricolor  F
Kalanchoe Ssp. L
*
Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Lavender-
Lavandula angustifolia - labiatae- L/F
Lilac -
Syringa vulgaris landscaping
*Mallow- Malva
Marigold(Domestic and wild) F
Mimulus -
aurantica
Monkey Plant - Ruellia makoyana - L/F
Moon Flower-  Ipomoea alba,
Ipomoea leptophylla- L
Mother of Pearl - Graptopetalum paraguayen
*
Nasturtium -officinale Tropaeolum majus
*
Opuntia Cactus
Pansy -
Pansy Viola X - L/F
Petunia
Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) landscaping
**Portacula (moss rose)-Leaves; Flowers-  Grandiflora
Pothos -
Epipremnum Pothos aureus -Epipremnum aureum landscaping
Primrose - Primula spp L/F
*~~
California Poppy - escholzia L/F
Poppy Welsh- Meconopsis cambrica
*Sedum
Sempervivum- L/F
Spider Plant -
Chlorophytum comosum - L/ F
Strawberry (all) Wild and Domestic
Swedish Ivy -
Plectranthus australis - L/F
Umbrella Plant - Darmera peltata / Petasites hyrbridus
~~
Violets (not African - English)
Whispering Bells (
Emmenanthe penduliflora)
Wisteria spp.  F
Zinnia- sp. L/F
Lavender-L/F-  Labiatae

 

SUCCULENTS

 

Abutilon -
Aeonium
Albuca 
~~Aloe Vera-L/F
Echeveria Spp.
Haworthia reinwardtii (very slow growing)
Hens & chicks  Sempervivum tectorum L
~~Hens & chicks  E. cheveria Spp. L
Ice plant (Mesembryanthemaceae family)
~~
Kalanchoe Spp.
Live-forever- Orphine (
Sedum purpureum)
Mimulus F Aurantica
~~Opuntia Spp.
Portulaca
Sedum Spp. (no 
Spiderwort- Tradescantia pinetorum,occidentalis
Tradescantia crassula Link & Otto
Tradescantia (wandering jew)
Desert Rose (Adenium obesum

 

TREES AND BUSHES

 

Edible Shrubs - Plants for a Future
Two Rainy Side Gardeners


Forsythia -
Oleaceae
Heather -
Ericaceae
 
*Hibiscus - rosa-sinensis Leaves; Flowers
*Hibiscus syriacus
Maple -
Acer saccharum
Mimosa -
Desmanthus illinoensis
*Mulberry Tree-(all)  L/ FR
Black variety
Morus nigra L/FR
White variety 
Morus alba L/FR
Paper mulberry - Moraceae L/F/FR
Sage
Tea Tree- Lepta Spermum Scoperium  L/F
Hibiscus syriacus or Shrub Althea (Rose of Sharon)
Loquat bush - Eriobotrya japonica

SAFE VINES


Grape vines - Concord Vitis spp. L
~~Tradescantia (wandering jew) - Tradescantia albiflora - L/F
Honeysuckle-  - Lonicera interrupta / Lonicera japonica/ Lonicera periclymenum & caprifolium
Creeping Charlie- Pilea nummulariifolia
*Climbing Nasturtium L/F
Creeping Jenny -
Lysimachia nummlaria
Ground Ivy -
Glechoma hederacea
Sweedish Ivy -
Plectranthus australis - L/F
Wild Muscadine -
Vitis rotundifolia

WEEDS


Bindweed - Convolvulus & calystegia spp
Bittercress -
Cardamine hirsuta & flexuosa
*Black mustard- entire plant- Brassica Nigra
*Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum
Butterfly Bush -
Buddleja ssp.
Cat's-ears -
Hypochoeris  & hypochoeris spp
*Chickweed - Cerastium vulgatum / Cerastium arvense /
Common greenbrier, Catbrier-- Silax roundfolia and ssp
*Cotyledon orbiculata - F/L/R - Crassulaceae
*Chicory-
Cichorium L
Clover -
Trifolium repens Trifolium pratense (moderation!)
~~ Cotyledon - umbilicus-veneris - AKA Pennywort,
Creeping Bell-flower
Campanula rapunculoides
Navelwort, Cotylet
Daisy- Bellis perennis L/F
*Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale -F/L
*Dandelion-  other. - Agoseris - aurantiaca F/L
*Dayflower-Leaves;
Commelina diffusa F
~~ Dichondra repens (wonderlawn)
Dock- Flowers
Rumex L
 Endive L
Evening Primrose-
Oenothera biensis L/F
Cut-leaved evening primrose,
Oenothera laciniata L/F
*Filaree -Erodium cicutarium
*Hawkbits - Leontodon ssp
Hawk's Beards -
Crepis-biennis-&-capilallaris
*Henbit - leaves and flowers Lamium amplexicaule
Honeysuckle- -
Lonicera interrupta / Lonicera japonica L/F
*Kudzu-
Puerar lobata L/F
*Mallow -Malva rotundifolia /sylvestris/ neglecta/  moschata L/F
Marigold-Leaves, Flowers-
calendula
*Miners Lettuce-Leaves- M. perfoliata
* Nipplewort - Lapsana communis
*Opuntia Cacti -(all)  L/F/FR- Opuntia - remove spines!
Pigweed - Amaranthus
Prickly Lettuce-
Lactuca serriola L
Primrose -
Primula vulgaris
 *Plantains - Plantago major, media & lanceotata
Purple deadnettle/ red deadnettle -
Lamium purpurem
Poverty weed - Monolepis nuttallia /
Iva axillaris L
Shepherd's purse - Capsella bursa-pastorsis
Capsella bursa-pastoris L/F
Salad Burnet - Sanguisorba minor
Sainfoin -
Onobrychis sativa
St. Johns Wort -
Hypericum  L/F
*
Stonecrops-
Sedum  album
*Sow Thistle -  Sonchus oleraceus & arvensis
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)
*Mallows - Abutilon Malva sylvestris, neglecta & moschata 
Common mallow -
Malva neglecta - L/F
Bush vetch - Vicia sepium
Common vetch-Vicia sativa
Tufted vetch -
Vicia cracca
Violet (ssp) - L/F (not African!! )
Viola ssp
*Watercress- Cruiferae L/F
Wild Carrot-  Daucus carota L
Wild Strawberry - Fragaria Vesca
Wintercress- Entire plant-
Barbarea vulgarsis

 

FRUIT BEARING PLANTS

 

Strawberry, Wild Fragaria spp
Raspberry, Black Rubus occidentalis
Raspberry, Red Rubus idaeus
Prickly Pear
Persimmon Diospyros virginiana
Grape vines - Concord Vitis spp.

GRASSES

 

Common name index of Grasses & Grasslike Plants
AFRICAN GRASSES USED IN THE UNITED STATES
African Grasses

~~ Barnyardgrass - Echinochloa crus-galli
Bentgrasses
Agrostis spp.
~~Bermuda - Cynodon dactylon
Bluegrass, annual -
Poa annua
~~Blue grama - Bouteloua gracilis
~~Big Bluestem - Andropogon gerardi
Bromegrass- Bromus inermis
~~ Buffalo grass Stenotaphrum
Chufa, or Yellow Nut Grass  Cyperus esculentus
~~ Couchgrass - Agropyron repens
~~ Crabgrass- Digitaria
Fescue, Tall - 
Festuca arundinacea
Fescue, Blue - Festuca glauca
Goosegrass-
Eleusine indica
~~Indian Ricegrass - Oryzopsis hymenoides
Johnson grass,
Sorghum halepense
~~ Kikuyugrass - Pennisetum clandestinum
Kleingrass, Panicum coloratum L.
Oatgrasses
Orchard- 
Dactylis glomerata
Pearl Millet - Pennisetum glaucum
Pangolagrass, Digitaria decumbens
Peppergrass - Lepidium spp.
Quackgrass-
Agropyron repens
Rye -
Eastern Gamagrass - Tripsacum dactyloides
Sweet vernal grass - Anthoxanthum odoratum
Timothy- Phleum pratense 
Wild oats -
Avena fatua
Weeping lovegrass, Eragrostis curvula