Live Plants

[Charlie And Lucy]

I have a friend who keeps a few live plants in with her ball python. They're all in pots and really small. I think they're baby ferns and palms. She said she read that it's ok to keep live plants in with snakes. I never done it and am wondering if any of you do it, and why or why not. I personally think it looks really pretty, but if it's not in the best interest for her animals, it shouldn't be done.

Thanks in advance!

[rockhardchick666]

I have 5 different live plants in my tank, all running smoothly here.

I will say now its very dissapointing when you check in the morning and once again, like every morning, since I've had the plants he climbs and they fall over.

Be careful though, there are kinds of tropical foilage that has sap that is toxic to dogs and cats, so I only assume reptiles too.

[Charlie And Lucy]

Thanks! I just may get some live plants for our snakes now. I love the look of them!

[musicalKeyes]

The plants tend to stop working when they get older, and bigger, the plants get crushed if they're too small. I love doing live though, I do it in every cage I can, it looks great

[Arsinoe]

I have all fake flowers, realist looking though, but was thinking about adding a small live plant. Does anyone know what you shouldn't use? I was thinking about something low and cascading like allysum in a flatish flat botom dish so he can crawl on it if he wants.

I will bet real plants are good for the humidity level.

[David802]

This list is for dogs and cats, I don't know if its the same for snakes, but it says that the reason there toxic to dogs/cats is because of there unique metabolism and small size.... Both could technically be applicable and at least it gives you an idea.

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html

[rockhardchick666]

I have all fake flowers, realist looking though, but was thinking about adding a small live plant. Does anyone know what you shouldn't use? I was thinking about something low and cascading like allysum in a flatish flat botom dish so he can crawl on it if he wants.

I will bet real plants are good for the humidity level.

I would say steer clear of anything that flowers. With the humidity so high and not a whole lot of circulation in tanks, I can't see the pollen being good for him. But there are many beautiful foliage type of plants that work well.

This list is for dogs and cats, I don't know if its the same for snakes, but it says that the reason there toxic to dogs/cats is because of there unique metabolism and small size.... Both could technically be applicable and at least it gives you an idea.

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html

This list is huge! You really need only to be concerned about ones that have toxic flowers, or sap. Luckily the pet we're dealing with doesn't chew EVERYTHING.

As long as your snake doesn't eat his greens from your plants, I would be confident to say if the poison is within the stems/leaves (and not the sap) you're a-ok.

[Arsinoe]

Do snakes chew on stuff other than their prey?

[BPelizabeth]

I doubt they would chew on stuff but pollen could be an issue as well as smell and touching them.


I personally think live looks awesome.....but it is a cleaning nightmare. I also would personally be concerned about those little knats that always seem to follow plants around out here....but that is just me.

[Kaorte]

Taken from another forum:

Toxic Plants:
ACOCANTHERA fruit and flowers
ACONITE (Monkshood) roots, flowers and leaves and seeds
AMARYLLIS (A. belladonna) bulbs contain alkaloids, stem, flower parts
AMSINCKIA (Tarweed) foliage, seeds
ANENOME (Wildflower) whole plant
ANGEL TRUMPET TREE (Datura arborra) flowers and leaves
APPLE seeds only (if crushed)
APRICOT PITS inner seed dangerous
ATROPA BELLADONNA all parts, especially black berries
AUTUMN CROCUS bulbs
AVOCADO foliage
AZALEAS all parts are fatal!
BALSAM PEAR seeds, outer rind of fruit
BANEBERRY (Doll's Eyes) red or white berries, roots and foliage
BEACH PEA all
BETEL NUT PALM all
BELLADONNA all
BIRD OF PARADISE foliage, flowers, seeds
BITTERSWEET berries
BLACK LOCUST bark, sprouts and foliage
BLEEDING HEART flower, foliage and roots
BLUEBONNETS all
BLUE FLAG (Iris) bulbs
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE some forms are toxic
BLOODROOT all
BOTTLEBRUSH flowers
BOXWOOD all
BUCKEYE HORSE CHESTNUT sprouts and nuts
BUCKTHORN fruit, bard
BUTTERCUP all
CALADIUM all
CALLA LILY all
CARDINAL FLOWER all
CAROLINA JESSAMINE foliage, flowers and sap
CASSAVA roots
CASTOR BEAN (castor oil) uncooked beans
CHALICE VINE (Trumpet vine) all
CHERRY bark, twig, leaves, seed pits
CHERRY LAUREL foliage and flowers
CHINA BERRY TREE berries
CHRISTMAS BERRY berries
CHRISTMAS CACTUS (Euphorbia) entire plant
CHRISTMAS CANDLE sap
CHRISTMAS ROSE foliage and flowers
COLUMBINE foliage, flowers and seeds
COMMON PRIVET foliage and berries
CORAL PLANT all parts
CROCUS bulbs
CROTON foliage, shoot
CYCLAMEN foliage, stems and flowers
DAFFODIL bulbs, foliage, flowers and pods
DAPHNE berries
DATURA (Jimson weed) leaves, seeds
DEADLY AMANITA all
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE foliage, unripe fruit, sprouts
DEATH CAMAS all
DEATH CAP MUSHROOM all
DELPHINIUM all
DEIFFENBACHIA (Dumbcane) all
DESTROYING ANGEL (Death cap) all
DOGWOOD fruit mildly toxic
DUMBCANE (Dieffenbachia) all
DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES foliage and roots
EGGPLANT all but the fruit
ELDERBERRY foliage, bark and shoots
ELEPHANT EARS (Taro) leaves, stem
ENGLISH IVY leaves, berries very poisonous
EQUISETUM all
EUPHORBIA (spurge(s)) foliage, flowers sap
FALSE HELLEBORE all parts
FALSE HENBANE all
FIDDLENECK (Senecio) all
FLY AGARIC (amanita, death cap) all
FOUR O'CLOCK all
FOXGLOVE leaves, seeds and flowers
GELSEMIUM all
GHOSTWEED all
GOLDEN CHAIN (Laburnum) all
HEMLOCK ROOTS (poison & water) all
HENBANE all
HOLLY, English and American foliage, berries
HORSE CHESTNUT all parts
HORSETAIL REED (Equisetum)all
HYACINTH bulbs, foliage and flowers
HYDRANGEA all parts
INDIAN TURNIP (Jack-in-the-pulpit) all
IMPATIENS (Touch-me-not) all
IRIS (Blue flag) all
IVY (all forms) foliage, fruit
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT all
JASMINE foliage, flowers, sap
JASMINE, STAR foliate, flowers
JATROPHA seeds, sap
JAVA BEAN uncooked bean
JERUSALEM CHERRY berries and foliage
JESSAMINE berries
JIMSON WEED (Thorn apple) foliage, flowers, seed pods
JOHNSON GRASS all
JUNIPER needles, stems, berries
LABURNUM all
LAMBKILL (Sheep laurel) all
LANTANA CAMARA foliage, flowers, esp. berries
LARKSPUR all parts
LAUREL all parts
LILY OF THE VALLEY all parts, including water
LIMA BEAN (java bean) uncooked bean
LOBELIA all parts
LOCOWEED all
LOCUST(S) all
LORDS AND LADIES (cuckoopint) all
LUPINE esp. seeds, pods foliage
MACHINEEL all
MARIJUANA all parts
MAY APPLE all
MESCAL (BEAN) seed; all parts may be toxic
MILKWEED foliage
MISTLETOE foliage and berries
MOCCASIN FLOWER foliage, flowers
MOCK ORANGE fruit
MONKSHOOD entire plant, including roots
MOODSEED berries
MORNING GLORY all
MOUNTAIN LAUREL young leaves, shoots
MUSHROOMS (some wild forms) caps, stems
NARCISSUS (Paper-white) bulbs, flowers
NATAL CHERRY berries, foliage
NECTARINE SEED inner pit only
NICOTINE (tree, bush, flowering) foliage, flowers
NIGHTSHADES all parts, esp. unripe fruit
OAK TREES acorn, foliage
OLEANDER all
PEACH PIT inner seed
PEAR seeds
PENNYROYAL foliage, flowers
PEONY foliage, flowers
PERIWINKLE all
PHILODENDRON (some species) all parts
PINKS all
PLUMS foliage, inner seed
POINSETTIA leaves, flowers and sap
POISON HEMLOCK foliage, seeds
POISON IVY foliage, fruit, sap
POISON OAK foliage, fruit, sap
POISON SUMAC foliage, fruit, sap
POKEWOOD / POKECHERRY roots, fruits
POPPY (except California) all
POTATO eyes, shoots, raw foliage
RIVET all
REDWOOD resinoids, leached wet wood
RHODODENDRON all parts are fatal!
RHUBARB foliage, uncooked stems
ROSARY PEAS foliage, flowers, pods
ROSEMARY foliage in some species
RUSSIAN THISTLE foliage, flowers
SAGE foliage in some species
SALMONBERRY foliage, fruit
SCARLET PIMPERNEL foliage, flowers, fruit
SCOTCH BROOM seeds
SENECIO ("fiddle neck") all
SKUNK CABBAGE all
SNAPDRAGON foliage, flowers
SNOWDROP all
SNOW-ON-THE-MOUNTAIN (Ghostweed) all
SPANISH BAYONET foliage, flowers
STAR JASMINE foliage, flowers
SQUIRREL CORN foliage, flowers, seeds
SUDAN GRASS all
STAR OF BETHLEHEM foliage, flowers
SUNDEW foliage
SWEET PEA stemps, seeds and fruit
TANSY foliage, flowers
TARO (Elephant ears) foliage
TARWEED foliage, seeds
THORN APPLE flowers, foliage, pods
TIGER LILY foliage, flowers, seed pods
TOAD FLAX foliage
TOBACCO leaves
TOMATO PLANT foliage, vines
TOUCH-ME-NOT all
TOYON BERRY berries
TREE OF HEAVEN foliage and flowering parts
TRILLIUM foliage
TRUMPET VINE all
TULIP all
VENUS FLYTRAP all
VERBENA foliage, flowers
VETCH (several forms) seeds and pods
VIRGINIA CREEPER sap, foliage, seed pods
WATER HEMLOCK roots, foliage
WILDFLOWER leaves, flowers
WILD PARSNIP underground roots, foliage
WISTERIA all
YAM BEAN roots, immature pods
YELLO STAR THISTLE foliage, flowers
YEW (all varieties) foliage, needles, seeds

Non-Toxic Plants:
ABELIA (Abelia grandiflora)
AFRICAN VIOLET (Saintpaulia ionantha)
SWEET ALYSSUM (Allyssum sp.)
ASPERAGUS FERN (Asperagus setaceus plumosus)
ASTER (Aster sp.)
BABY TEARS (Helxine soleirolii)
BIRD'S NEST FERN (Asplenium nidus)
BOSTON FERN (Nephrolepsis exalta)
BOTTLE BRUSH (Callistemom sp.)
BOUGANVlLLEA (Bouganvillea sp.)
BRlDAL VElL (Tripogandra multiflora)
BROMELIADS (Aechmea; Bilbergia; Cryptanthus; Vriesia, etc.)
CACTUS, SPINELESS (Astrophytum)
CAMELLIA (Camellia japonica)
COLEUS (Coleus sp.)
CORN PLANT (Dracaena fragrans)
CREEPING CHARLIE (Pilea nummulariifolia)*
CROTON (Codiaeum SP.)
DRACAENA (Dracaena SP.)
EMERALD RIPPLE (Peperomia caperata)
EUGENIA (Eugenia sp.)
FICUS TREE
FUSCHIA (Fuschia)
GERANIUM (Pelargonium sp.)
HEN AND CHICKS SUCCULENT (Echeveria imbricata)
HIBISCUS (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
HOYA (Hoya exotica)
ICEPLANT (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum)
IMPATIENS (Impatiens)
JADE PLANT (Crassula argentea)
JAPANESE ARALIA (Fatsia japonica)
JASMINE (Jasrninum officinale; J. grandiflorum)
LAVENDER (Lavandula officinalis)
MARIGOLD (Calendula offcinalis)
MONKEY PLANT (Ruellia makoyana)
MOTHER OF PEARL (Graptopetalum paraguayense)
NATAL PLUM (Carissa grandiflora)
PAINTED NETTLE (Coleus)
PALMS (Areca sp.)
PAMPAS GRASS (Cortaderia selloana)
PARLOR PALM (Chamaedorea elegans)
PEPEROMIA (Peperomia caperata)
PETUNIA (Petunia)
PHOENIX (Phoenix roebelenii)
PIGGYBACK PLANT (Tolmiea menziesii)
PILEA (Pilea sp.)
PINK POLKA-DOT PLANT (Hypoestes sanguinolenta)
PONYTAIL PLANT (Beaucarnea recurvata)
PRAYER PLANT (Maranta leuconeura)
PURPLE PASSION; PURPLE VELVET (Gynura aurantiaca)
SPIDER PLANT (Chlorophytum comosum)
STAGHORN FERN (Platycerium bifurcatum)
SWEDISH IVY (Plectranthus australis)
TREE MALLOW (Lavatera assurgentiflora)
UMBRELLA PLANT (Eriogonum umbrellum)

Edible Plants
ALFALFA Hay
BURDOCK
CLOVER leaves, stems
DANDELION leaves, flowerhead
FICUS (F. BENJAMINA) leaves
GERANIUMS flowers, leaves
GRAPES (NOT GRAPE IVYS) leaves, fruit
HIBISCUS flowers, leaves
LAMBS QUARTERS leaves
MALLOW young leaves
NASTURTIUM flowers, leaves
PEAVINE (NOT SWEETPEA) leaves
POTHOS leaves*
ROSES petals
SPIDER PLANT leaves
SPLIT-LEAF PHILODENDRON (MONSTERA) leaves - known safe for P.T. skinks*
VIOLETS (NOT AFRICAN VIOLETS) flowers, leaves - known safe for torts
WANDERING JEW (ZEBRINA SPP) leaves

* High in oxalic acid - pothos may be offered to iguanas only in
moderation; many species of philodendron are extremely high in
oxalates and so should be avoided. A lot of people get pothos and
philodendron confused, so if you don't know and you are plant
shopping, shop at a nursery where folks know their plants.