Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in MI and was wondering what it is to see if I can use it for chuck food. I searched online with no luck. It is about 8-10 foot tall and about 8 foot around. It gets little white flowers in the sspring and berries that start off green then turn whitish then to black or dark purple. The birds seem to like the berries but I am interested in the leaves for the chucks. Thanks. Tom

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Looks like Ligustrum japonicum, Japanese privet to me.

It kind of looks like some type of Dogwood. I will do some searching for the genus "Cornus" & get back . I have plenty of doubts about using that bush right now--- lets do some research !! Tom--- do some searching to see if you can ID that plant since you are there with it first hand. If you need some chuck weeds----- I can help!!

dv&l

how about this??

Link

I would love to know of some good weeds for chucks! I am getting tired of going to the store all the time. I live in AZ if that matters at all... Thanks in advance~

Plants like Brittlebush, Bebbia, Cheanactis ( sp?), Rattlesnake Weed ( euphorbia family), Palo Verde & Ironwood flowers, Ambrosia ( never have seen a single bite taken fron mine), Desert Zinnia & Desert Marigold,Dalea, Globemallows, Palafoxia, most stuff in the Sunflower/ Daisy/ Hibiscus/ Lupine family.

The list goes on-- I need to compile a good list of plants I have used for chuck foods
Where in Az are you at?

dvl

I'm in Mesa, which is just east of Phoenix. I have tried a bunch of different stuff like ocotillo leaves and creosote. I did try hibiscus and they really liked it. I want to start growing a bunch of different plants in my backyard to give them a good variety.

DAve was right a Cornus. It is a weeping dogwood, Cornus amomum. Is it toxic to feed to lizards Dave? Tom

From what I found the Cornus is not toxic to cats, birds or love birds behind the Burger King! For years I thought Dogwood ( Cornus) was considered toxic-- but now I see they were using the common name "dogwood" for some Solanum type plant. But potatoes are also in the Solanacae family as is the dangerous Jimsonweed ( Datura)-- so not all & all parts are bad!
You might want to try those leaves on a real ugly chuck first!!! Why kill a hottie over a strange leaf!! Birds eat the berries of most Cornus & "Spread em Around".
Chucks might not like the taste. Also--- in habitat they bite a leaf that is still attached & give it a shake to rip & tear off a morsel. When the leaves are plucked & loose----- they have a hard time getting it to rip apart when the whole leaf is hanging out of their mouth and flopping around !

Much safer with the common & considered toxic Ragweed!

dvl