Live Plant Question

[GiggleSheep]

Hi everyone, I just had a quick question for anyone using live plants in your enclosures. I have a hawaiian umbrella tree that I'm growing and was wondering if it would be safe for my tokay geckos. I've heard it was toxic, and that it wasn't toxic. Obviously I'm keeping it out right now, but if any experts think that it's safe, I think it would look very nice in my vivarium. I do appreciate any info, thanks

 

[Caleb C]

I'm not a professional, but a quick google search seems like it is poisonous, best bet is to research a little info about what plants would be fine in a tokay terrarium, then spend like 20-30 on a couple plants.

 

[Amanda1]

I'm not sure about umbrella trees. Pothos, wandering jew, and bromeliads work really well and are pretty common choices for terrariums, and there are many varieties of each so you can add some color if you want.

 

[Styx]

I have read that they are mildly toxic, but no place I have read in the past stated why, exactly. So... I don't really know.

That said I use them all the time in my gecko vivs. Not had an issue so far with the plants. *shrug* Pothos I know for a fact are indeed mildly toxic, but they're very common viv plants, they contain calcium oxalates which can be irritating it gotten on skin or cause vomiting (I have read, not exactly eaten one). I use them also, without issues. Ficus are supposed to be pretty safe, I have read their sap can also be irritating though and is toxic to some animals (horses come to mind).

So, I guess use at your own risk. If you don't feel comfortable, definitely don't use it. I use mine with very small geckos so they don't get trampled a lot and have a lot of exposed sap - where your issue might lie.

An alternative to a live mini tree in your viv is buying a stick and wrapping a live vine around it that you know for a fact isn't toxic if you're really worried about anything getting on your geckos. I have done this in a viv I can't get a mini tree to grow in.

 

[GiggleSheep]

Thanks for the input guys! While I feel as though they won't be bothered by some of the toxic plants I have, I decided that if I were to get anything, it should be plants from their native regions, so I am going with a couple of Crotons and a few non-toxic plants that I already had.

 

[Josh2]

I would think things like pothos and bromeliads would be OK to have in an enclosure. No matter what it is you'd want to remove it if you saw evidence of the geckos eating it