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Can Tortoises Eat Marigolds? Pot Marigold Yes, French No

Calendula is safe and readily eaten; the French and African marigolds sold as bedding are a different genus. How to tell them apart before feeding.

By Zakaria 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A single orange pot marigold flower with plain undivided leaves, the calendula form rather than fern-leaved Tagetes
Photo: YumeSofii, Pexels License, via Pexels
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Depends entirely on which marigold. Calendula is safe and well liked. Tagetes — the bedding marigold — is a different genus and stays off the list.

Two plants, one common name

This is the whole problem. “Marigold” covers two unrelated genera sold side by side in the same garden centre.

Telling them apart
Calendula (pot marigold)Tagetes (French, African)
Safe to feedYesKeep off the list
LeavesPlain, spoon-shaped, slightly stickyFinely divided, fern-like
Smell when crushedMild, resinousStrong, sharp, unmistakable
FlowerSingle, daisy-likeOften dense pompoms
ColourOrange, yellowOrange, yellow, red and mahogany markings
Sold asHerb, cut flower, edibleBedding plant

Rub a leaf

The quickest field test there is. Tagetes has a strong, pungent, slightly acrid smell that sticks to your fingers — it is the reason people plant it near tomatoes and the reason some people dislike it.

Calendula barely smells at all. If the scent is obvious, it is not the one to feed.

Is Tagetes actually dangerous?

Worth being accurate rather than alarmist. Tagetes is not among the seriously toxic plants — it is not oleander or foxglove. It contains compounds that can irritate, and it simply is not an established part of a tortoise diet, which is why care sheets leave it off.

A tortoise that grazes a French marigold in passing is not in trouble. But there is no reason to offer it when calendula is safe, cheap and easy to grow from seed.

Mint, while we are here

Safe in small amounts, and mostly ignored. Strongly aromatic herbs are not a natural part of a tortoise’s diet, and most show little interest.

Fine as an occasional addition to a varied mix. Not something to build a diet around — the same goes for the other culinary herbs.

What to actually grow

The two worth quantity:

  • Hibiscus — flowers and leaves, relished, easy
  • Dandelion — flower, leaf and stem, excellent calcium to phosphorus ratio

Good alongside them:

  • Calendula, nasturtium, hollyhock, mallow
  • Pansy and viola, rose petals
  • Chicory, clover, plantain, sow thistle

Variety beats optimisation. Fifteen mediocre species in the enclosure beat one perfect one, because a mixed diet is what the animal evolved on.

The list to keep out entirely

Remove these from the enclosure rather than relying on avoidance

Daffodil, foxglove, lily of the valley, oleander, azalea and rhododendron, buttercup, hellebore, lupin, delphinium, hyacinth, iris, wisteria, ivy, avocado, and the flowers of any nightshade including tomato and potato.

A grazing tortoise samples whatever is in reach. The enclosure is the control, not the animal’s judgement.

Where the plants come from

  • Never florist or supermarket flowers — systemic pesticides, growth regulators and preservatives, none of which wash off
  • Garden centre plants need repotting into fresh compost and growing on for several months before anything is fed from them
  • Grow from seed where you can. Calendula is among the easiest annuals there is, self-seeds readily, and flowers for months

Common questions

Can tortoises eat marigolds?

Pot marigold — Calendula officinalis — yes, and it is a well-established tortoise food that they take readily. The complication is that two quite different plants are sold as marigolds: calendula, which is safe, and Tagetes, the French and African marigolds used as bedding, which are a different genus and are generally kept off tortoise feeding lists. If you cannot identify which you have, do not feed it.

How do I tell pot marigold from French marigold?

By scent and leaf more than by flower. Calendula has plain, slightly sticky, spoon-shaped leaves and a mild resinous smell, with single daisy-like flowers in orange or yellow. Tagetes has finely divided fern-like leaves and a strong, sharp, unmistakable smell when crushed, usually with denser pompom flowers often marked in red or mahogany. The pungent smell is the quickest test — if it smells strongly when you rub a leaf, it is Tagetes.

Are French marigolds actually toxic to tortoises?

They are not classed among the seriously toxic plants, and the usual position is caution rather than alarm — Tagetes contains compounds that can irritate and is simply not an established part of a tortoise diet. Most keepers and care sheets leave it off the safe list for that reason. A tortoise that grazes a French marigold in passing is not in danger, but there is no reason to offer it when calendula is safe, cheap and easy to grow.

Can tortoises eat mint?

In small amounts, yes. Mint is not toxic and tortoises will sometimes take it, but strongly aromatic herbs are not a natural part of the diet and most tortoises show little interest. Treat it as an occasional addition to a varied mix rather than a staple. The same applies to other culinary herbs — safe in small quantities, not something to build a diet around.

What flowers should I actually grow for a tortoise?

Hibiscus and dandelion are the two worth growing in quantity, since both are relished and easy. Beyond those, calendula, nasturtium, hollyhock, mallow, pansy and viola, rose petals, chicory, clover and plantain are all safe and useful. Aim for variety rather than optimising for one plant — fifteen mediocre species in the enclosure beat one perfect one, because a mixed diet is what the animal evolved on.

Which flowers must be kept out of a tortoise enclosure?

Daffodil, foxglove, lily of the valley, oleander, azalea and rhododendron, buttercup, hellebore, lupin, delphinium, hyacinth, iris, wisteria, ivy, avocado and the flowers of any nightshade including tomato and potato. Because a grazing tortoise samples whatever is within reach, the practical approach is removing those plants from the enclosure entirely rather than relying on the animal to avoid them.

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