Plants that are Safe for Your Gliders
by Linda Altman & Cinnamon Muhlbauer

There has been lots of discussions about what plants are safe to put in your gliders cage. Before you make this decision, please be sure that you only use unsprayed naturally fertilized plants. Also if in doubt as to what type of plant you have please refrain from feeding these to your gliders. Many species of plants look very similar but mistaking one for another could be fatal to your precious little one. Not all gliders will eat these plants but this is a good list to try from. There are many other edible plants as well as those listed here but to list them all would fill a large book. The list below includes both the botanical names in parenthesis and the common names for the plants. I would like to thank Cinnamon Muhlbauer for her help with identifing plants that are native to where the gliders roam.

GLIDER SAFE FLOWERS and PLANTS:

Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
a.k.a. Archangel

European Angelica

Garden Angelica - ROOTS ARE POISONOUS

American Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) - ROOTS ARE POISONOUS

Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
a.k.a Giant Blue Hyssop

Fragrant Giant Hyssop

Balm (Melissa officinalis)
a.k.a. Common Balm

Lemon Balm

Melissa

Sweet Balm Banskia repens - a native plant to glider country

Banksia cunninghamii - a native plant to glider country

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) or any basil variety including:
opal basil
lemon basil
anise basil
cinnamon basil
etc.

Blueberry (Vaccinium)

Buddleia (B. davidii var or B. alternifolia)

aka butterfly bush Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Burnet (Sanguisorba minor and Sangvisorba officinalis)
a.k.a. Garden Burnet and Greater burnet or salad burnet

Bush Lily (tripladenia cunninghamii) - also native to where gliders live

Calendula (calendula officinalis)
a.k.a. pot marigolds Callistemons (viminalis)

Capers (Capparis spinosa)

Carraway (Carium carvi)

Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)

Chamomille (Anthemis nobilis

Mattricaria chamomilla)
a.k.a. Camomille

German Chamomille

manzanilla (Matricaria)

Roman chamomille (Athemis) - ONLY the FLOWERS ARE EDIBLE

Chrysanthemums (C. x superbum) only
a.k.a Shasta Daisy

please be sure not to confuse with C. coccineum
a.k.a. Painted Daisy or Pyrethrum Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
a.k.a. French Parsley Chickory (Cichorium intybus and Cichorium endiva)
a.k.a. Coffee Weed

escarole

Belgian endive - flowers & leaves are ok

Clover (Trifolium)

Red Clover (T. pratense)

Alsike Clover(T. hybridium)

Landino Clover (T. repens)

Alyce Clover (Alysicarpus) & Crimson Clover (T. incarnatum) Correas

Daisy (Compositae) - all members

flowers are the only edible part Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)
a.k.a. LionsTooth, leaves are ok too before the blossoms appear

Daylilies (Hermerocallis)

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Honeysuckle (make sure that you are postitive that it is honeysuckle and not Carolina Jasmine)

Hymenosporum flavum (frangipani), another native to glider country

Eucalyptus - all species
a.k.a. blue gum
gum tree
money plant
silver dollar
honey eucalyptus
etc.

The following eucalyptus species are native to the areas where gliders live in the wild:

e. caesia
e. curtisii
e.torrestiana
e. macrandra
e. perriniana
e. spathulata
e. viridis

Fuki - a member of the Petasite Family (P. japonicus)

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)
a.k.a. Common Horehound

White Horehound Hibiscus - over 200 species of trees herbs & shrubs of the Mallow family includes the following Abelmosk (Abelmoshus moshatus)

China Rose (H.Rosa-sinensis)

Cotton Rose (H. mutabilis)

Flower-of-an-Hour (H. Trionum)
also H. tiliaceus and H. Sabdariffa

Great Rose Mallow (H. Grandiflorus)

Okra - improperly called Hibiscus (Abelmoshus sculentus)

Roselle (H. Sabdariffa)

Rose Mallo (H. Moscheutos)

Rose of Sharon (H. syriacus) flowers and leaves are ok

Hyssop (Hyssop officinalis)
a.k.a. Garden Hyssop Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)
a.k.a. Garden Lavender

True Lavender - Leaves & Flowers are OK

Mallow (Malva sylvestris Malva rotundifolia)
a.k.a. Cheese Plant

Common Mallow

Dwarf Mallow - Leaves & pink flowers are OK

Marigold (calendula species) - not the french kind (use only the large ones)

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

Marjoram (Marjorana horensis)
a.k.a. Sweet Marjoram Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)
a.k.a Indian Cress - Leaves stems and flowers are ok

Pansy (Viola Tricolor)

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
a.k.a Common Parsley - Flowers & leaves only. DO NOT USE THE SEEDS

Potentilla (P argyrophylla)

P. fragiformis

P. fructicosa

P. fulensw

P. nepalensis

P. nitida

P.recta cv. ("Warrenii")
a.k.a. cinquefoil or Five finger.

Roses (Rosa species)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
a.k.a. garden Rosemary - leaves & flowers are OK

Saffron (Crocus sativus) - BE SURE not to confuse with Colchium autumnale, a poisonous plant, as both flower in the fall and look similar.

Sage (Salvia Officinale) - purple or white variety of flowers not the red ones - FLOWERS ONLY!!!!

Scented Geraniums (Pelargonium graveolens)
a.k.a. Rose Geranium - Leaves & Flowers are OK

Squash

cucumber

melon flowers

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
a.k.a. British Myrrh

Sweet Chervil - Leaves, flowers & seeds are OK

Violets (Viola odorata)
a.k.a. Garden violet

Sweet Violet - FLOWERS ONLY - DO NOT USE ROOTS OR SEEDS

Wild Celery (Apium graveolens)
a.k.a smallage

Zigzag Clover (trifolium medium)

FLOWERS TO AVOID:

Allium (Allium cepa)

Allium fistulosum

Allium ascalonicum

(any member of the onion family including chives, garlic chives, garlic, shallots, and leeks)

Arnica (arnica montana)

Autum Crocus (colchium autumnale)
a.k.a Meadow Saffron Belladonna (Atropa Belladonna )
a.k.a. deadly nightshade or any member of the nightshade family which includes tomato, potato, jimson weed.

Bittersweet (solanum dulcamara)

Black Cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa) - Never give this to a female glider, it contains a chemical that can trigger contractions of smooth muscles, which could cause a pregnant female to loose her baby. Unsafe for any glider.

Bloodroot (sanguinaria canadensis)
a.k.a. Indian Paint

Blue flag (iris versicolor)
a.k.a. liver lilly and water flag

Broom (cytisus scoparius)
a.k.a. broom tops, scotch broom & irish broom

Caper Spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) - sometimes mistaken for true capers

Carolina Jasmine (looks like bright yellow honeysuckle)

Castor Bean (ricinus communis)

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) or any member of the prunus species

Chrysanthamum (C. coccineum)

Comfrey (symphytum peregrinum)

Dandelion roots

Dieffenbachia
aka Dumb Cane

Ficus - any species

Foxglove (digitalis purpurea)

Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)

Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Jalap (ipomoea purga) or any member of the Ipomoea family - this includes Morning Glory

Japanese Star anise (Illicium lanceolatum)

Jimson weed (datura stramonium)

Lilly of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Lobelia (lobelia inflata)
a.k.a. Indian tobacco or wild Tobacco Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
a.k.a. Love Parsley or Sea Parsley Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum)
a.k.a. love apple

Mate` (Ilex paraguariensis)
a.k.a. St. Bartholomew's tea

Yerba mate` May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum)
a.k.a. American Mandrake Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotium or Phoradendron flavescens or Viscum flavescens)

Morning Glory - or any member of the Ipomoea species

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Prunus, all species

includes all seeds of the following, the fruit itself is okay:

cherries
peaches
plums
nectarines

branches and other parts of plant.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)

Peony (Paceonia offcinalis)

Poison Hemlock (conium maculatum)
a.k.a. fools parsley Peyote

Philodendron and all members of the Arum family

Rue (Ruta graveolens)

Sassafrss (Sassafras albidum) - avoid bark and roots

Senna (cassia senna)

Shave grass (Equisetum hyemale)

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
a.k.a Garden Sorrel

Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus)
a.k.a. Calamus or Flag Root

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
a.k.a. Waldmeister Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare or Chrysanthemum vulgare)

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
a.k.a. French Tarragon

Estragon Tomato leaves, flowers, stems & roots (fruits are ok)

Tonka Bean (dipteryx odorata)

Virginia Shakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria)
a.k.a. Snakeweed Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)
a.k.a. Burning Bush Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
a.k.a Cress

Scurvy Grass Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata)

White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)
a.k.a. Snakeroot Wild Senna (Cassia marilandica)

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
a.k.a Teaberry Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
a.k.a. absinthe Zigandus
a.k.a. Soap Plant

Zygadene

Death Camas

Poison Sego

Sources:

USDA
The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and other publications by Rodale Press
The Complete Book of Herbs
Spices and Condiments by Carol Rinzler
and Cinnamon Muhlbauer.

Sugar Glider & Plants

Plants that are Safe for Your Gliders by Linda Altman & Cinnamon Muhlbauer

Plants that are Safe for Your Gliders
by Linda Altman & Cinnamon Muhlbauer