I forgot to address the Esparanza question below. As far as I know, no harm has ever happened to chucks eating these flowers. Tacoma stans / Yellow Bells/ Esparanza. They are kin to the Catalpa tree, Campsis ( Trumpet vine ). My chucks will eat Esparanza but do not prefer it. They also nibble on things like Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush and dang near all those daisy/ sunflower type plants-- some they prefer to munch on the leaves over the flowers. I have groundcover fron Hell that they like the flowers --Wedelia. Another good Texas plant is Anisicanthus wrightii. Small red tubular flowers that love texas sun-- chucks & DI's will climb em to get to the flowers. Ruella is also eaten.
More later as I think of em!
David
below is the list from earlier post---
Common Ragweed -- they eat on the leaves,
Prostrate Euphorbias ( that reddish flat weed that grows in every sidewalk crack with white sap)and all similar weedy euphorbias-- same thing-- they eat leaves & all
Palafoxia - lizards seldom eat the leaves but love the purple flowers. A favorite!
Gaillardia-- tough & common wildflower. Leaves & flowers both eate--great chuck plant !
Calylophus--another great tough wild one that gets flowers & leaves eaten.
Indigofera miniata-- a great little creeping plant with small red flowers. They wallow in it with love!Flowers & leaves
Dalea--- flowers & leaves
Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides)nasty pungent weedy plant used to flavor beans in mexico--chucks love it. Almost a ragweed!
Scutellaria -- or Skullcap-- mainly the small flowers.
Lepidium-- weedy ol Peppergrass--they love all of it.
Erodium -- Storksbill/ Fillaree
Phacelia
Mallows/ Sida---- almost anything in this family works!
Palo Verde flowers---I break off limbs full of flowers & let em eat!
Mirbalis - the Four O'Clock family.
Verbena
Bladderpods-Lesquerella
