Friends! We’re officially on PATREON. Please consider becoming a patron so you can directly help support the animals of GST! Use this link: www.patreon.com/gardenstatetortoise As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 🙏🏻 Chris and Casey
Hey friends! If you liked this video but want a neat, simple and beautiful idea for a tortoise enclosure to plant, watch this video next: ua-cam.com/video/SVAZkOdtDTw/v-deo.html Lots of love, Chris 🐢🐍🦎
Hey Chris, you forgot winter-hardy opunta cactus species. They will “deflate” after a frost but will regenerate, bloom & produce fruit (cactus pears) when the warm weather returns. Chelonians love opunta cactus pads, there are also spineless varieties. It’s the primary food source of several desert tortoise species.
This is exactly the video I needed! I was at Lowes today looking for a cover plant for my Hermann’s and was too nervous to buy any because they didn’t have any of the ornamental grasses I came for. Perfect timing lol. Thank you!
This is exactly what I've been looking for for years for my 2 boys to make the garden more interesting. I'm now confident that what I'm planting is safe for them. I love Garden State Tortoise & their videos are SO informative ❤️❤️
I'm so glad you made this video! I've been wanting to add plants to my turtles encloser for a while but wasn't sure how to pick plants, this definatly helps!
Great, informative video! Thanks again. Oh, and by the way, I loved the "Hawaii Five-O/Mission Impossible/1970's TV drama" style music that you used in this video. Nice touch!😊
Happy mother’s day to Casey! Thank you guys for the wonderful videos constantly. Sorry to hear you lost a tortoise form that plant, but thank you for the info!
Hi Chris, Happy Mother's Day Casey. Fantastic video describing what plants are safe for a tortoise, and what is toxic. Sorry to hear that you lost a tortoise that ate a toxic plant. You always talk about such important tips for a happy, healthy tortoise. Your outside enclosures are awesome, with all of the beautiful safe grass, and plants. ❤🐢Cindy Florida
Than you, this is great information from a trusted source. I rescued a tortious 8 years ago off the street and fell in love with this crazy little who I thought was a Russian and someone from a forum I just joined said he is a Hermann !
I love this channel. I'm learning so much. I have a wild turtle/tortoise that has burrowed under my back garage. I'm not sure what kind it is or what to feed it. I've been giving it lettuce. I live in Central Florida, and all of my land is sandy and flat. I hope to learn how to allow him/her to thrive thru this channel. Thank you.
Thank you so much for making this and sharing about your unfortunate learning experience with toxic plants! I will be picking a a hardy hibiscus for my tortoise thanks to your suggestion!
Great Job! Thank goodness been watching you for years and have learned so much. I am set up on a lot of these plants, Would you please do a safe plant for box turtles!
My son and I loved your video and we went straight out to buy tortoise safe plants. What we did discover after we got the hosta plant was that there is a hosta plant called hosta «pilgrim» which is toxic to animals. Which type of hosta are you showing in this video? 🙏🏼 Thanks so much
Hi love your videos… been to get some plants today.. when am I able to plant them? Lots say because they are from the garden centre has lots of fertilizers pesticides etc.. so have to wait 6 months or flushing them out for a few weeks ? 🤷🏽♀️
The local, hardy hibiscus that are perennial in northern climates are known as “Rose of Sharon.” They come in shades of pink, purple and white with contrasting dark centers. Other tropical hibiscus (yellows, oranges & reds) need to be taken in during the winter and will often go dormant until the spring.
Enjoyed this very much! I live near Western Carolina. I recognize a number of these plants. But my yard is clay based. I need to figure out how to get/create that sandy substrate.
Chris, that Rhodie that you showed at the nursery, which is called ‘Holden Red’ is one that was bred and introduced by the Holden Arboretum, where I am curator. What are the chances?!? They aren’t all that common in the trade…
I live in Kansas. My question is about wild dandelions my dalmatian Herman's loves them. How safe are they? Her outdoor habitat is completely compromised of native species of plants and grass a lot of them are species that the native box turtles eat. I just don't want to do anything to harm her.
Dandelions are one of the best edible weeds, both for humans and animals. The only part that may be disagreeable to eat is the stem, which is quite bitter. You can google any plant to check its suitability.
Awesome, Awesome 👏 do you have a source for turtle related information? I have a sinensis and I'm still insecure about what plants to feed her sometimes
What a useful video! A fun fact: many of these same plants are also toxic or edible for humans! The herbs are easy to guess, but among those you mention, hosta, begonia, rose, pansy, hibiscus, and many succulents (my favorite succulent snack is the sedum 'Autumn Joy') are delicious as salads, greens, or garnishes.
Hello I bought some hibiscus flowers from homedepot for my redfoot tortoise not sure if they used or sprayed the plant with chemicals just wanted to know if buying from there is safe to feed my tortoise
I have an extremely picky California Desert Tortoise (captive bred I have the parents and they are tagged). She is now 16 years old and refuses to eat 95% of what is recommended. Any suggestions?
i will add that along with the perils of poisonous plants, physical obstacles can kill tortoises as well. I had a box turtle get wedged between two rocks , out of view, and it was long since gone when i discovered it.
Azaleas and Mountain Laurel are also in the Rhododendron family. There are wild species (of all the above) found in nearly every temperate US & European woodland. These look different than the cultivated garden specimens to the untrained eye. Assuming they are all poisonous it’s amazing how in nature wild animals know what to avoid eating. After being kept in captivity many seem to lose these survival instincts. BTW; many spring flowering bulbs and evergreens are also poisonous to turtles. It’s best to do research on pet-safe plants before decorating an enclosure to avoid disaster.
This is both great and not great. Hibiscus is my favorite flower and my mom got torts, so it's great that hibiscus are safe for torts but they kinda knock down my lil hibiscus and eat everything.
One point you showed an asiatic lily and called it a day lily. There were some cat people freaking out about them containing oxalates which made me think somebody better not tell them about spinach! Day lilies flowers are edible but Hemerocallis are not Lilium. Anyway day lilies would probably be better for enclosures since they form dense clumps. I try not to get too worked up about poisonous plants since pretty much all plants are toxic since they have been trying to kill off herbivores for millions of years. We just decide some of these chemicals are tasty. I didn't think about Rhododendrons not that in Florida we would be growing them. IIRC in ancient times one battle didn't happen because the soldiers found some wild honey from bees that had foraged on rhododendrons nobody was capable of doing much after that. Come to think about might camellias be a better substitute for them as tea is a camellia. Just some notes I have had red foots decide to eat Brazilian pepper seedlings and had a leopard tortoise that I treated for parasites when put out to forage I noticed it was seeking out herbaceous spurges to eat. I mentioned this to the orchid thief when he was in the nursery and he said his leopards knocked over crown of thorns to eat the foliage . I'm not saying they should be part of their diets but some things might be eaten in the wild that we might not think to be edible. One other thing is Burmese mountain tortoises love taro foliage. I remember reading that taro leaves prepared a certain way have a slight vanilia odor. It made me think about an account of impress tortoise eating cabbage sprinkled with vanilla extract.
I see your at a store buying plants. I’ve heard not to buy them from a store because of the soils and pesticides they use. It’s been a struggle trying to find plants and flowers for my Hermann tort, Gary. Can I do this and just walk in and buy it at a store? Do I need to wait 6 months and only feed new growth? I’d appreciate the advice. Ty!
My advice is to stay off forums and Facebook groups. Buy the plants, wash them off, wait a couple of days and you’re fine. Take it from someone who has been doing it for over 30s with hundreds of animals. Hope that helps!
@@GardenStateTortoise thank you! I really appreciate this! I’ve read the books and it’s misleading what people say on what they can and cannot have- they say one thing, books say another. I watch your page all the time, and I genuinely thank you for your response and all your videos!
I would also check to see if these are invasive plants as well! A few of the ones you mentioned are invasive in certain areas of North America unfortunately. Maybe a video on native species to plant next?
I don’t have turtles or tortoises, but if I did I think I’d just avoid all Lilys unless there’s a species that’s incredibly beneficial to tortoises. I’m just not super experienced in flowers so I don’t think I’d risk it 🤣
Friends!
We’re officially on PATREON. Please consider becoming a patron so you can directly help support the animals of GST! Use this link: www.patreon.com/gardenstatetortoise
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 🙏🏻
Chris and Casey
Is it safe to buy these flowers and plants from Walmart and Home Depot?
Hi, i have 2 tortoises is safe lace Aloe for them( not for food but for planting in their zone)??
Hey friends!
If you liked this video but want a neat, simple and beautiful idea for a tortoise enclosure to plant, watch this video next: ua-cam.com/video/SVAZkOdtDTw/v-deo.html
Lots of love,
Chris
🐢🐍🦎
Hey Chris, you forgot winter-hardy opunta cactus species. They will “deflate” after a frost but will regenerate, bloom & produce fruit (cactus pears) when the warm weather returns. Chelonians love opunta cactus pads, there are also spineless varieties. It’s the primary food source of several desert tortoise species.
hey Chris what is the name of the crow repellent you use,when the video was playing I couldn't really see the name of it,thanxs
This is exactly the video I needed! I was at Lowes today looking for a cover plant for my Hermann’s and was too nervous to buy any because they didn’t have any of the ornamental grasses I came for. Perfect timing lol. Thank you!
Thanks!
Perfect video for someone who wants to own tortoises, like me. Thank you
But do ur own research cause what can be fine for one Species the turtle or tortoise could be bad for another
This is exactly what I've been looking for for years for my 2 boys to make the garden more interesting. I'm now confident that what I'm planting is safe for them. I love Garden State Tortoise & their videos are SO informative ❤️❤️
I have wanted a video like this for so long! It's always so hard to know what you can and can't plant. Thank you!!
I'm so glad you made this video! I've been wanting to add plants to my turtles encloser for a while but wasn't sure how to pick plants, this definatly helps!
Great, informative video! Thanks again. Oh, and by the way, I loved the "Hawaii Five-O/Mission Impossible/1970's TV drama" style music that you used in this video. Nice touch!😊
Happy mother’s day to Casey! Thank you guys for the wonderful videos constantly. Sorry to hear you lost a tortoise form that plant, but thank you for the info!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am relandscaping my tortoise enclosure right now. This video is so helpful!
Thank you for sharing
I like the natural aesthetic of your enclosures, Garden State Tortoise 💚 it’s easy to see your tortoises are doing well!
Perfect video. Thank you!
Hi Chris, Happy Mother's Day Casey. Fantastic video describing what plants are safe for a tortoise, and what is toxic. Sorry to hear that you lost a tortoise that ate a toxic plant. You always talk about such important tips for a happy, healthy tortoise. Your outside enclosures are awesome, with all of the beautiful safe grass, and plants. ❤🐢Cindy Florida
I always learn something new in these videos 😎
Than you, this is great information from a trusted source. I rescued a tortious 8 years ago off the street and fell in love with this crazy little who I thought was a Russian and someone from a forum I just joined said he is a Hermann !
One your most universally useful videos. Thanks for the work you guys put into these.
i loved this, it was great for mothers day, these are her favorite plants in NJ
Easily loving these tortoise care videos 👏🏽 thank you
Absolutely loved this informational video as a new tortoise owner! ❤
Thank you for this video! And for the link to the tortoise table site.
EXCELLENT VIDEO! Always glad to learn more about how to expand my torty's diet and habitat.
Just the video I was looking for! I’ll need to check the plants I added to make sure they are turtle safe. Thank you!
i love this video ! i maynot ever get a tortoise but i consistently love the information🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂!!!
Such a great and useful episode. Thank you!
Great stuff!! About to put mine in their big outdoors enclosure again and want to add some vegetation! Thank you for cutting straight to it!
I thank you so much for your videos. I have been learning a lot. You are a blessing. Keep up your awesome work.
Thank you so much for making this!
love my family and our tortoise Daisy :)
Wow! Entertaining and jam packed with information. Thank you!
Fantastic video, thank you for sharing!!
That is a GORGEOUS Tshirt. Is it in your merch? I hope so!
I love this channel. I'm learning so much. I have a wild turtle/tortoise that has burrowed under my back garage. I'm not sure what kind it is or what to feed it. I've been giving it lettuce. I live in Central Florida, and all of my land is sandy and flat. I hope to learn how to allow him/her to thrive thru this channel. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this information. I've been trying to get more plants in my yard for our little one ❤
Thank you for a very important video, you do great work.🖤🇨🇦
Thank you so much for making this and sharing about your unfortunate learning experience with toxic plants! I will be picking a a hardy hibiscus for my tortoise thanks to your suggestion!
I own a tortoise and will use this video for my outdoor tortoise enclosure j am planning to build soon
I rotate landscaping sedums growing in low terracotta bowls in and out of my desert tort Clarissa's habitat as she grazes them down.
Great Job! Thank goodness been watching you for years and have learned so much. I am set up on a lot of these plants,
Would you please do a safe plant for box turtles!
Their requirements would not be much different, as they are all reptiles, and plants toxic to one variety would be toxic to all.
Shoutout to Drawn to Scales! I love that shirt, have the artwork on my wall
Great video content very informative 👍👍
Thanks a lot. Wonderful video. ❤
i needed this thank u!
My son and I loved your video and we went straight out to buy tortoise safe plants. What we did discover after we got the hosta plant was that there is a hosta plant called hosta «pilgrim» which is toxic to animals. Which type of hosta are you showing in this video? 🙏🏼 Thanks so much
Thankyou tortoise state garden your advice fantastic thankyou 🐢🌺🥬
This is a very valuable video.
Hi love your videos… been to get some plants today.. when am I able to plant them? Lots say because they are from the garden centre has lots of fertilizers pesticides etc.. so have to wait 6 months or flushing them out for a few weeks ? 🤷🏽♀️
The local, hardy hibiscus that are perennial in northern climates are known as “Rose of Sharon.” They come in shades of pink, purple and white with contrasting dark centers. Other tropical hibiscus (yellows, oranges & reds) need to be taken in during the winter and will often go dormant until the spring.
Ive been planting weeds in my tortoise enclosure, ribwort plantain, sowthistle, dandelion etc
Enjoyed this very much! I live near Western Carolina. I recognize a number of these plants. But my yard is clay based. I need to figure out how to get/create that sandy substrate.
Excellent video! Very useful to me, since my climatic conditions are pretty similar
i really love your outdoor tortoise enclosure but how can you prevent it turn into a pond when it rains or even heavy rains?
Chris, that Rhodie that you showed at the nursery, which is called ‘Holden Red’ is one that was bred and introduced by the Holden Arboretum, where I am curator. What are the chances?!? They aren’t all that common in the trade…
I live in Kansas. My question is about wild dandelions my dalmatian Herman's loves them. How safe are they? Her outdoor habitat is completely compromised of native species of plants and grass a lot of them are species that the native box turtles eat. I just don't want to do anything to harm her.
Dandelions are one of the best edible weeds, both for humans and animals. The only part that may be disagreeable to eat is the stem, which is quite bitter. You can google any plant to check its suitability.
Мужик , спасибо тебе, столько полезной информации даёшь , что даже не счесть🎉
if getting plants from nursery, can we feed or place in enclosure right away? Or need to wait for how long worrying about fertiliser/pesticides.
This video is Awesome thanks so so much
Great video
This videos brilliant ❤
Awesome, Awesome 👏 do you have a source for turtle related information? I have a sinensis and I'm still insecure about what plants to feed her sometimes
How about eastern Hermann's? Indoor terrarium
I was thinking about the tortoise table every time you brought up a new plant because who can remember them all...lol 😂
👍👍👍
Just what I needed. I have different tortoises in different enclosures
Is there a wait time before feeding plants from Lowes? Do we need to watch put for any fertilizer or pesticides in their plants?
Are regular roses okay for tortoises
Watching again
Thank you!
Where did you get the "Think outside the box" shirt?
What a useful video! A fun fact: many of these same plants are also toxic or edible for humans! The herbs are easy to guess, but among those you mention, hosta, begonia, rose, pansy, hibiscus, and many succulents (my favorite succulent snack is the sedum 'Autumn Joy') are delicious as salads, greens, or garnishes.
Great video
This was great!
Hello I bought some hibiscus flowers from homedepot for my redfoot tortoise not sure if they used or sprayed the plant with chemicals just wanted to know if buying from there is safe to feed my tortoise
I have an extremely picky California Desert Tortoise (captive bred I have the parents and they are tagged). She is now 16 years old and refuses to eat 95% of what is recommended. Any suggestions?
i will add that along with the perils of poisonous plants, physical obstacles can kill tortoises as well.
I had a box turtle get wedged between two rocks , out of view, and it was long since gone when i discovered it.
Azaleas and Mountain Laurel are also in the Rhododendron family. There are wild species (of all the above) found in nearly every temperate US & European woodland. These look different than the cultivated garden specimens to the untrained eye. Assuming they are all poisonous it’s amazing how in nature wild animals know what to avoid eating. After being kept in captivity many seem to lose these survival instincts. BTW; many spring flowering bulbs and evergreens are also poisonous to turtles. It’s best to do research on pet-safe plants before decorating an enclosure to avoid disaster.
Hibiscus is fantastic.
I live just north of Houston on 5 acres. We've spotted several box turtles and i wanna plant things that theyll eat. Any recommendations?
Are all ornamental grasses safe?
Great video.
love that shirt😍
Where do your outdoor tortoises drink water I didn’t see any water bowls
Is it ok to have garden centre plants or do they have to be home grown, not sure if garden centres use chemicals/fertilisers etc
This is both great and not great. Hibiscus is my favorite flower and my mom got torts, so it's great that hibiscus are safe for torts but they kinda knock down my lil hibiscus and eat everything.
Rhodes
Nice to find out.
Does this apply to eastern box turtles?
Isn’t there a type of lavender people shouldn’t eat? Does it matter for tortoise..?
Can you plant lemon grass?
Are all this plants safe for the hermann tortoise?
Where can we get these safe plants for our tortoises to eat?
I get a lot of thistles in my area, are those toxic for tortoises
Nope thistle are fine for them you just might wanna cut off the bigger spines
One point you showed an asiatic lily and called it a day lily. There were some cat people freaking out about them containing oxalates which made me think somebody better not tell them about spinach! Day lilies flowers are edible but Hemerocallis are not Lilium. Anyway day lilies would probably be better for enclosures since they form dense clumps.
I try not to get too worked up about poisonous plants since pretty much all plants are toxic since they have been trying to kill off herbivores for millions of years. We just decide some of these chemicals are tasty. I didn't think about Rhododendrons not that in Florida we would be growing them. IIRC in ancient times one battle didn't happen because the soldiers found some wild honey from bees that had foraged on rhododendrons nobody was capable of doing much after that. Come to think about might camellias be a better substitute for them as tea is a camellia.
Just some notes I have had red foots decide to eat Brazilian pepper seedlings and had a leopard tortoise that I treated for parasites when put out to forage I noticed it was seeking out herbaceous spurges to eat. I mentioned this to the orchid thief when he was in the nursery and he said his leopards knocked over crown of thorns to eat the foliage . I'm not saying they should be part of their diets but some things might be eaten in the wild that we might not think to be edible. One other thing is Burmese mountain tortoises love taro foliage. I remember reading that taro leaves prepared a certain way have a slight vanilia odor. It made me think about an account of impress tortoise eating cabbage sprinkled with vanilla extract.
Thankyou
Hi. When buying plants out of these big stores. It is safe to give them to eat right away, or I need to replant them and wait?
Any place can use pesticides and other chemicals. The danger is overstated though. Just wash any possible residue off the leaves and you'll be fine.
I see your at a store buying plants. I’ve heard not to buy them from a store because of the soils and pesticides they use. It’s been a struggle trying to find plants and flowers for my Hermann tort, Gary. Can I do this and just walk in and buy it at a store? Do I need to wait 6 months and only feed new growth? I’d appreciate the advice. Ty!
My advice is to stay off forums and Facebook groups. Buy the plants, wash them off, wait a couple of days and you’re fine. Take it from someone who has been doing it for over 30s with hundreds of animals. Hope that helps!
@@GardenStateTortoise thank you! I really appreciate this! I’ve read the books and it’s misleading what people say on what they can and cannot have- they say one thing, books say another. I watch your page all the time, and I genuinely thank you for your response and all your videos!
I would also check to see if these are invasive plants as well! A few of the ones you mentioned are invasive in certain areas of North America unfortunately.
Maybe a video on native species to plant next?
The rhododendron is supposedly toxic to other creatures also but something keeps nipping on mine. I have deer and rabbits in my neighborhood.
I don’t have turtles or tortoises, but if I did I think I’d just avoid all Lilys unless there’s a species that’s incredibly beneficial to tortoises. I’m just not super experienced in flowers so I don’t think I’d risk it 🤣
Awesome
No concern of the fertilizer they use in their pots at lowes or other nurserys?
Can anyone of these plants be okay in a diamondback terrapin turtle tank?