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Arizona Cottontop Digitaria californica
Arizona Cottontop is a warm season, perennial bunch grass native to the desert southwest. Height ranges from 1 1/2 to 2 feet. This is a grass grazed by many species of desert wildlife, including tortoises. Gorgeous when it's in bloom!
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Indian Rice Grass -- Achnatherum hymenoides
Found throughout the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Indian Ricegrass is a favorite of tortoises. This perennial grass is delicate looking, but it withstands both the heat as well as the cold of the desert. This is a drought tolerant slender grass which can grow up to 24 inches high, and is hardy to USDA Zone 4.
This is one of the forage "bunchgrasses" tortoises actively seek out in the spring and early summer months. It is highly palatable to livestock, both while green in spring and dried in late summer.
It will not tolerate shade or poor drainage.
Indian Ricegrass seed was once used by Native Americans for grinding into meal or flour to make bread.
This seed is wild-harvested.
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Desert Needle Grass
We''ve finally had enough rain to be able to provide with you with a most excellent native enclosure bunchgrass native to the Mojave Desert.
Desert Needle Grass is a beautiful perennial bunchgrass with attains a height of up to 2 feet. When it begins to go to seed, it has a fluffy appearance. This is an edible grass, and is found on sloped and in rocky areas below 6500 feet. If allowed to grow, it will come back larger and stronger year after year. Survives freezing. Needs excellent frainage and full sun.
Once established it (like Indian Ricegrass) provides shelter, food, and a gorgeous addition to any garden.
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Desert Galetta Grass
Found throughout the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in areas undisturbed by grazing, off-road vehicle use or other habitat degredation, Galetta Grass is commonplace. This clumping grass is drought resistant, and tortoises often graze on the clumpy mounds both when new growth appears in the spring, as well as after hot summer temperatures dry the grasses out. Once established, it withstands heavy foot (and grazing) traffic, is very drought tolerant, and is hardy to USDA Zone 4.
Even if tortoises choose not to eat it, it is a native landscape plant which will do well in many outdoor enclosures.
This fluffy seed is difficult to harvest, is from an organic source, and is VERY light.
Complete planting instructions are included.
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Mexican Feather Grass
Althought not native, Mexican Feathergrass is a beautiful perennial bunchgrass with attains a height of up to 2 feet. When it begins to go to seed, it has a fluffy appearance, similar to Desert Needle grass. As it grows and droops, it provides excellent refuge from the sun for smaller tortoises and box turtles. We use a lot of it, especially in box turtle enclosures. This grass survives freezing temperatures. It freely re-seeds itself after established.
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Mediterranean Grass
Schismus barbatus is a Mediterranean grass. It is quite different from other grasses, as it grows like a fine, green carpet.
Tortoises of all species relish this annual grass.
Allowing some of the grass you plant to go to seed is highly recommended, as it is an annual plant and needs to re-seed to ensure growth for the next year.
Schismus seed is nearly microscopic, a single seed is much smaller than a grain of salt.
Complete growing instructions are included.
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Sand Lovegrass
Sand Lovegrass is an important native grass, and is eaten by many animals, both wild and domestic. Itis a tall, warm-season, fine leafed bunch grass which grows to about 12 inches.
Sand Lovegrass has a reddish-brown color, making it a grass sometimes selected for landscaping. It also demonstrates good drought tolerance.
Sand Lovegrass is found throughout the desert southwest.
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Orchard Grass Seed
Orchard Grass is a wonderful food for terrestrial tortoises and lizards. A member of the Dactylis family, this pasture grass begins to grow early in the season, and continues to grow in after annual rye grasses start drying out. Orchard Grass is fine-stemmed, leafy, and low growing. It does require regular watering. Orchard Grass seed is VERY tiny!
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Timothy Grass Seed
Timothy Grass is a wonderful food for terrestrial tortoises (and lizards too.) It does require regular watering. Timothy grass seed is VERY tiny!
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African Couch Grass AKA Bermuda Grass Seed
Bermuda Grass is a tough African native, is an important part of a tortoise's diet.
Observing African tortoises in the wild, one can see that this grass species makes up a considerable portion of the diet.
Bermuda provides a high fiber, low protein forage which is of paramount importance for normal digestive function.
This seed can be added to our custom blended pasture mixes, or can be planted alone. Use caution where it is planted as it spreads quickly, and is difficult to eradicate once established (a bonus for a hungry tortoise!)
Can't wait for it to grow? Grab a bag of our locally grown, freshly harvested Bermudagrass Hay!
The BEST time to plant Bermuda seed is in late spring / early summer after soil temperatures are 70+ degrees and all danger of freeze or frost is past. This generally takes 80+ consistent day highs in temperatures to achieve this temperature in the soil.
This is Bermuda variety "Sahara" which withstands high temperatures and is more drought resistant than "common" Bermuda. It does go dormant in the Winter. For best results and a good thick turf base, ALLOW TO ESTABLISH WELL before letting tortoises graze!
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Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) is a perennial bunchgrass that is native throughout North and South America.
The small oat-like seeds develop on the side of the stalk. It is a warm season grass growing 12-40 inches tall and grows well on mountain plateaus, slopes and in sandy soil.
The grass is also drought and cold tolerant and is hardy in Zones 4-9. It is considered a good foraging grass and is also good for erosion control.
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Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides)
Buffalo Grass is an American native perennial grass that grows grows in small clumps and/or patches, and is often sod forming. Buffalo grass is readily consumed by wildlife and livestock, except during during times of drought, when it may become dormant. Buffalo grass requires full sun.
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Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Not to be confused with desert native Indian RICE Grass, Indian Grass is a tall, North American native clump forming (bunch) grass. Like the other North American perennial bunchgrasses, these are striking in any enclosure, or in your garden. Many wild birds adore the seeds. Perennial. Full sun and regular watering.
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Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Another member of the American native bunchgrass family, Switchgrass is very hardy and resistant to cold, drought, poor quality soils, and even flooding.
Switchgrass may reach 6 feet in height.
As with all bunchgrasses, if you want them for "enclosure appeal" or landscaping, do not allow grazing for the first three years. These and other bunchgrasses provide safe shade, visual barriers, and reduce erosion.
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Curly Mesquite Grass - Hilaria belangeri
Curly Mesquite Grass gets its name from the way the leaves curl up when it goes dormant, and because it is often found in mesquite tree groves. This is an Arizona native, and is eagerly eaten by desert tortoises in their native habitats.
Once established, this is a drought tolerant grass, and spreads underground by stolons. It is a perennial clumping grass. (dies back in the winter, but comes back in spring)
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