Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Use this forum for identification of plants and flowers found in countries outside the UK. To allow us to help provide accurate identification we need clear pictures of the whole plant, where it is growing and close up pictures of flowers, buds or seed heads if any available. It would also be useful to see pictures showing the leaf attached to the stem.
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ElizabethTW
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 May 2018, 21:57

Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Post by ElizabethTW » 22 May 2018, 22:06

I have lots of this pretty and hardy grass around my house. I suppose it could be called an ornamental grass. Is it a safe feed for my tortoises?
Thanks in advance!
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ElizabethTW
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 May 2018, 21:57

Re: Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Post by ElizabethTW » 22 May 2018, 22:08

Here's a photo from my garden too :-)
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ElizabethTW
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 May 2018, 21:57

Re: Is "Phalaris arundinacea"(aka Ribbon or tiger stripe)grass a safe feed?

Post by ElizabethTW » 22 May 2018, 22:32

Looks like I initially misidentified the grass. It wasn't maiden grass... It appears to be phalaris arundinacea.. aka ribbon or tiger stripe grass. And it looks like it's invasive. Anyone know if it's safe?
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lin
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Post by lin » 23 May 2018, 11:24

Hi Elizabeth.
Both the grasses you mention are grasses from the poaceae family and they will be fine in the tortoise enclosure but it depends on what species of tortoise you have. Some will benefit from it being a place to shelter and dig beneth and if you have a grazing species it might eat it although none of mine ever did they prefered the lawn grasses to the ornamental ones.
Hope that helps and if we can be of any more help just get back to us.

Lin

ElizabethTW
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Joined: 22 May 2018, 21:57

Re: Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Post by ElizabethTW » 25 May 2018, 04:41

Hi Lin,
Thanks so much for your reply! I keep Russian tortoises.

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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Is "Maiden (miscanthus) grass" a safe feed?

Post by Nina » 25 May 2018, 07:05

Hi Elizabeth,
I have Russians (Horsfields), and although that species are not usually grass eaters, mine have developed a taste for lawn grass over the last couple of years. I also have ornamental grasses, and in particular one called Carex 'Frosted Curls', that I plant in both their indoor table and their outdoor enclosure. They ignore the outdoor plants and just use them for shelter, but the ones I plant in their indoor table they eat to the ground in no time, so I have no idea what is going on there! I would just try it and see.

Nina

MichaelCoela
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Location: Virgin Islands
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Is "Maiden miscanthus grass" a safe feed

Post by MichaelCoela » 09 Aug 2018, 05:45

Got heaps of these in the garden lately. I used to call these spitfires as a kid, but dont know what their proper name is.

Are they safe to feed to the fish?

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lin
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Is "Maiden miscanthus grass" a safe feed

Post by lin » 09 Aug 2018, 10:10

This is a site that gives advise about tortoises, their diets and their care so it would not be right for any of us to advise about fish diets. Sorry but maybe go to a fish forum and ask your question.

Lin

MichaelCoela wrote:
> Got heaps of these in the garden lately. I used to call these spitfires as
> a kid, but dont know what their proper name is.
>
> Are they safe to feed to the fish?

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