Pachira Aquatica, safe or not?

[quikdrummer]

Hi

I was looking around the nursery the other day for some live plants to put into my brand new chameleon enclosures. I just recently purchased 2 young male veiled, one had had his leg broken by the shop owner sliding the cage he kept them in open, they nursed him back to health and gave him to me, the other one i purchased for my fiancee.

Anyways, I built 2 large screen enclosures for them and have temporarily filledthem with just some fake plants. I really want to get them some live plants. I have browsed the internet searching and cant seem to find if the small tree, Pachira Aquatica is safe for chameleons or not. Its a really cool looking small tree that I think would be great in the enclosures.

thats what it looks like. Its also known as Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, provision tree, saba nut, and is commercially sold under the name money tree.

Any information?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

There are several threads.
Search money tree ... here's one:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/plant-questions-2772/

-Brad

 

[quikdrummer]

thanks Brad, but the one im looking for is a different type of tree. the scientific name is pachira aquatica.

guess ill keep searching

 

[spatulars]

Well, if it is safe, it looks like it will be a really awesome tree for an enclosure because it likes extra wet conditions.

 

[Justin Carl]

http://www.geocities.com/chameleoncreatures/nontoxicplants.html

try that link:

 

[spatulars]

After looking at UC Davis and IVIS and other plant links, I have not yet found it on any toxic or safe plant list. I think it's also called water chesnut and fortune tree.

 

[quikdrummer]

thanks for the help everyone. I guess I'll hold off on getting the tree until I can find out for sure... Nowhere that I have looked has said whether it is safe or not.

 

[Justin Carl]

Look at the link I gave you.
It has like 100 safe plants or super low toxic plants.

 

[quikdrummer]

yeah, i think im gonna go with just some pothos for now. a co-worker of mine says they grow incredibly easy indoors and are very hard to kill. Everything I have read said that ficus is fine but a few said it leads to eye infections? anyone have issues with that?

go look at my gallery too =)

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Pothos are great!
They are somewhat toxic but don't seem to bother veileds at all.
Ficus benjamina does have an irritating sap when pruned. The only eye irritation issues with this plant that I have read about have been with Panthers.
I have had no trouble with veileds and this ficus.

-Brad

 

[quikdrummer]

yeah thats what i was thinking. Im thinking a small pothos hanging from the top and a ficus potted in the bottom with a few bigger branches criss crossing.