Mulberry trees are fantastic! The tortoises love the leaves. I've also had good luck with grape leaves and hibiscus leaves and flowers. One particular flower that is also excellent is althea flowers. You can usually find these in any nursery in the South/Southwest; their flowers are so prolific in the summer, I have four plants that produce enough to feed all of my fifteen animals. Petunias are also edible, but beware of ones sprayed with pesticide. If you can grow lettuce, this is especially wonderful. Plant it after the first frost and turn the tortoises loose on it just before it drops seed. They will love you forever. Geraniums are also good, but same warning as the petunias. Further lists can be found in "The Feeding Manual" by A.C. Highfield, Carapace Press. It has a page full of things.

Another note, make sure that your tortoises area is very large, at least ten by ten feet, I would say. If they're housed in a six by three foot enclosure, I tend to find that they don't give natural graze a chance to even grow beyond the seedling stage.

T.G.

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