Bearded dragons can eat a variety of flowers. However, not all flowers are safe for beardies.
Can bearded dragons eat marigolds?
No. Marigolds are some of the flowers that are known to carry parasites or pesticides making them harmful to bearded dragons. As a rule of thumb, avoid feeding beardies with flowers picked from the wild.
Because marigolds are pretty and bloom throughout the summer, many bearded dragon owners wonder whether this beautiful flower is edible for reptiles.
Unfortunately, marigolds are not perfect flowers for bearded dragons. However, this flower has several benefits for humans.
Let me further dig in a little bit. Below are few facts and trivia about marigold flowers.
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What is Marigold Flower?
Marigold is a golden beautiful blooming flower that carries a strong smell. It is a member of the Tagetes and Calendula Genera and belongs to the Asteraceae plant family.
Marigolds are some of the resilient or hardy annual plants. Its life cycle completes in a year.
Varieties of Marigolds
Around the world, there are several varieties of marigold flower. Below are some of them:
Is Marigold Nutritious?
Although marigolds are not good for bearded dragons, they contain some nutrients. Let’s take a look at what we can get from marigold flowers.
Marigolds contain;
- Plant sterols
- Calendic acid
- Polysaccharides
- Linoleic acid
- Carotenoids
- Flavonoids
- Triterpenes saponins
- Tocopherols
- Oleanolic acid
What Benefits We Can Get from Marigolds?
Although I don’t recommend marigolds for bearded dragons, we cannot discard the fact that these flowers have several benefits for humans.
That is right. Marigolds are good source of substances that could treat human illnesses of many kinds.
Below is the shortlist of benefits we can get from marigold. It can treat:
1. Skin Inflammation
Experts had found out that marigolds can be used to treat inflammation of the skin. But for beardies, I don’t know exactly what benefits it can bring to them.
2. Eye Inflammation or Eye Conjunctivitis
There were animal studies in the past that revealed some benefits of marigolds in treating eye inflammation or eye conjunctivitis
Eye Conjunctivitis is an eye condition wherein an affected eye is hard to open. This condition is caused by allergies or infection.
Because of its antibacterial or antifungal properties, marigold is capable of fixing eye inflammation.
3. Antiseptic Properties
Aside from the antifungal properties, marigolds also have antiseptic properties. These substances are usually used to kill skin bacteria and prevent infection from happening.
The good thing about the antiseptic properties found in marigolds is that it is natural. So no worries for harm or overuse.
Again, all these benefits are for humans. I have not read any evidence that suggests that marigolds can be used to treat bearded dragons’ diseases.
What I am sure of is that bearded dragons should not be given marigolds to keep them safe from the potential harm that these flowers may bring.
Are There Other Flowers That Bearded Dragons Can Eat Aside from Marigold?
If marigolds are big NO for your beardies, don’t worry. There are many flowers that bearded dragons can eat.
Below is the shortlist of flowers you can feed to your bearded dragons. However, it is important to remember that the following flowers are not good as staple foods.
That said, if you give the following flowers, it should be in moderation or on occasional basis.
Here are a few flowers you can give to your beardies as a treat:
- Geraniums
- Dandelions
- Hibiscus
- Nasturtiums
- Carnations
- Roses
Obviously, marigold is not included in the list. So it rules out marigold as safe flower for bearded dragons.
Whenever you are feeding your bearded dragons with flowers, just make sure that the flowers are clean. Unless you grow those flowers, they can have some pesticides or chemicals with them that can bring harm than good to your bearded dragons.
This is the reason why I don’t normally recommend feeding a bearded dragon with plants picked in the wild. Even those that can be bought from flower shops might not be safe.
Pesticides and herbicides are common chemicals applied in fruits, vegetables, and flowers for better yield. But it does not actually produce healthy foods.
I always want to feed my beardies with safe foods. So I plant flowers, fruits, and veggies in my backyard. This way I am sure that no chemical in the salad for my bearded dragons.
If you have bearded dragons to feed, I suggest that you plant your vegetables, fruits, and flowers too. A backyard space can be turned into a garden. Plant as many foods for your beardies as you can.
This is a very good strategy especially if your beardies are adults. Adult bearded dragons eat more greens than insects. This is because they need more nutrients than proteins that can be found in insects and other live animals.
Keep your bearded dragons safe from chemicals. Plant their own food!
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Marigolds
Marigold as a flower is not good for bearded dragons of any age. This is because marigolds may carry chemicals that will potentially harm bearded dragons.
Although marigolds have several benefits for humans, I don’t recommend these flowers for beardies. Prevention is still the best practice.
But if you want to give flowers to your beardies, choose the safe ones. Some flowers are edible for bearded dragons.
You can choose a few from the list above. However, when feeding your bearded dragons with flowers, always make sure that the flowers are free from any type of chemicals.
Flowers especially those picked in the wild or those from flower shops may have chemicals. If you can, plant your beardies’ foods in your backyard.
I hope this helps. Thank you very much for reading.
To learn more about bearded dragons, feel free to visit my guide here.
