[For Sale] Plants for Chameleons

[joshsfrogs]

Chameleons require a variety of different sized structures to climb on as well as plenty of visual barriers. Plants can play an important role in providing humidity, climbing structures, hiding places and making your enclosure look good. Chameleons also benefit from leaves which gather beads of water when sprayed that facilitate drinking. We have put together this list of plants that have been used within the Chameleon community, though we always recommend doing supplemental research to make sure the plant is right for your specific chameleon.

Plants for Climbing and Structure:

• Dracaena compacta 'Janet Craig' - 4" pot
• Schefflera arboricola - Umbrella Tree" (4" Pot)
• Monstera deliciosa 'Swiss Cheese Plant' (4" Pot)
• Schefflera arboricola variegated - Umbrella Tree (4" pot)
• Chamaedorea elegans - Neanthe bella (Parlor Palm) - 4" Pot
• Ficus elastica 'Tineke Rubber Plant'

Plants for Hiding & Visual Barriers

• Chlorophytum comosum 'Spider Plant' (4" Pot)
• Aeschynanthus gracilis - Lipstick Vine
• Plectranthus australis - Swedish Ivy (Green)
• Nephrolepis exaltata - True Boston Fern
• Nephrolepis exaltata 'Emerald Vase' Fern

Chameleon Plant Kit

View our entire category of plants for Chameleons HERE. Most of these plants are 30% off through June 22nd!

 

[tdeamicis]

looking online and rubber tree sounds good for chameleons, yet on this forum, some say the sap is toxic. Is it safe or not? I know lots of stuff online is not recommended on this forum (for many reasons), but I don't know if the rubber tree is truly good for a chameleon. My veiled chameleon definitely eats her boston fern and pothos.


Some here say it is good, some say bad, just trying to verify. Here is one of the threads saying it is bad, but there isn't much proof given, would appreciate thoughts on this, https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/rubber-tree-plant.91932/.

 

[MissSkittles]

looking online and rubber tree sounds good for chameleons, yet on this forum, some say the sap is toxic. Is it safe or not? I know lots of stuff online is not recommended on this forum (for many reasons), but I don't know if the rubber tree is truly good for a chameleon. My veiled chameleon definitely eats her boston fern and pothos.


Some here say it is good, some say bad, just trying to verify. Here is one of the threads saying it is bad, but there isn't much proof given, would appreciate thoughts on this, https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/rubber-tree-plant.91932/.

I have no idea about rubber trees, but I don’t see it on the safe plant list from Chameleon Academy and that’s what I go by. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/

 

[tdeamicis]

I have no idea about rubber trees, but I don’t see it on the safe plant list from Chameleon Academy and that’s what I go by. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/

And sorry, I say rubber tree, but I guess I mean rubber plant. It is more tree like, that's why I call it a tree, lol.

• Ficus elastica 'Tineke Rubber Plant'

Thank you for the link, I will check that out as well. So hard when there are so many lists, but each has their own considerations to make.... Some are great, some are wrong, some are good but have a few questionable things.... And then the forum helps, but have to take that with a grain of salt also, as some have a ton of experience and some are new....

 

[MissSkittles]

And sorry, I say rubber tree, but I guess I mean rubber plant. It is more tree like, that's why I call it a tree, lol.

• Ficus elastica 'Tineke Rubber Plant'

Thank you for the link, I will check that out as well. So hard when there are so many lists, but each has their own considerations to make.... Some are great, some are wrong, some are good but have a few questionable things.... And then the forum helps, but have to take that with a grain of salt also, as some have a ton of experience and some are new....

Many of the safe plant lists that are out there are primarily for cats and dogs. The ones that CA lists have been used and therefore tested as safe specifically for chameleons and some specifically for our little plant nibbling veileds. It’s also a matter of looking at how/why the plant is considered toxic. For example, I use heart leaf philodendron which is very similar to pothos in it’s toxicity being the presence of calcium oxalates.

 

[tdeamicis]

Many of the safe plant lists that are out there are primarily for cats and dogs. The ones that CA lists have been used and therefore tested as safe specifically for chameleons and some specifically for our little plant nibbling veileds. It’s also a matter of looking at how/why the plant is considered toxic. For example, I use heart leaf philodendron which is very similar to pothos in it’s toxicity being the presence of calcium oxalates.

Oh definitely. Unforunately, I am only referring to chameleon safe plant lists, and those vary as well. But yes, thank you so much for your help.

 

[jamest0o0]

Ficus all/most to my knowledge have some amount of irritating sap. My ficus alii drips it if I break a leaf off. It can be irritating(mostly to mammals) in large amounts, but isn't dangerous. My chams have never had problems. 'Toxic' could mean anything from a stomach ache to instant death... research the toxin itself in the plants and make your decision from there, the word toxic isn't very helpful.

Also, mammals in many cases are more sensitive to plants. If a dog or cat has no problem eating something, I'd personally feel fine using it in my cham enclosure.

 

[CasqueAbove]

I have a large rubber tree in with my male. They will not kill your cham but not the best choice. The leaves break under weight of cham. They do not realy provide good climbing surface. Mine is a large open enclosure like 6ftx3ft5fh and the plant is on the end more as a visual barrier.
Palm or grassy plants don't get eaten as much. Kangaroo Paw fern is good for bigger leaf coverage. They are hardy and grow fast enough to keep up with munching.

 

[tdeamicis]

I have a large rubber tree in with my male. They will not kill your cham but not the best choice. The leaves break under weight of cham. They do not realy provide good climbing surface. Mine is a large open enclosure like 6ftx3ft5fh and the plant is on the end more as a visual barrier.
Palm or grassy plants don't get eaten as much. Kangaroo Paw fern is good for bigger leaf coverage. They are hardy and grow fast enough to keep up with munching.

good to know. I have a large bioactive enclosure, so about 6ft tall, 2 ft deep and 5ft wide. I would mostly want it in the ground, somewhere close to the middle, but only if it makes sense.... I have been looking for a rubber tree for so long, and seen it so many times as chameleon safe, that it is strange to stop looking for it now.... I have boston ferns, pothos, bromeliad and one other plant (can't think of name off-hand), but was wanting to add rubber tree, wandering jew, prayer plant and spider plant. Of course that is dependant on places near me having these items, lol. I always go to stores with the chameleon safe plant list and I rarely find anything on it.... Nothing besides the boston fern and pothos usually, lol.

 

[jamest0o0]

I have a large rubber tree in with my male. They will not kill your cham but not the best choice. The leaves break under weight of cham. They do not realy provide good climbing surface. Mine is a large open enclosure like 6ftx3ft5fh and the plant is on the end more as a visual barrier.
Palm or grassy plants don't get eaten as much. Kangaroo Paw fern is good for bigger leaf coverage. They are hardy and grow fast enough to keep up with munching.

I forget that smaller chams actually walk on plants. Even my sturdy 7 ft ficus alii with wooden branches bend under my guy's weight lol. So I consider almost all plants as just cover