Please can anyone recommend robust grasses that will form tussocks, stay less than 2 feet tall and not take over? I grow turf varieties for grazing and have large weedy lawns, but want to provide summer refuge and interest to outdoor  grassed/ gravelled/bark substrate enclosure. I do have wooden shelters and have kept torts for 40 years outdoors successfully. However, on looking at photo gallery of members, note improvements I should like to make. (We are never too old to learn)

Hi Dave, here is a link to an excellent site designed specifically on plants suitable for torts, http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp

Hope this helps, they are more expert than us on this subject!!

Regards Vivienne

What a great site, thanks indeed...time for some serious planting!!

Thanks, David in York

Hi David,

I use the ornamental carex grasses in outdoor tortoise and tutle enclosures. They dont get huge but the torts and turts do like hiding amongst or digging under these plants and will often shape the plants into a hide for themselves, much like the scrapes they make in the wild. 

Something to avoid are what are sold under the name of "Black Grasses". A plant with black, grass like foilage which is in fact a member of the lilly family. Latin name of this one is Ophiopogon Planiscapus Nigrescens.

Dave.

Carex sounds good to me. Thanks for info about black grasses, I must admit I was  almost tempted when I visited garden centre. Do you know if Red Hot Pokers are tort friendly Dave?   They do look good, and would grow well in my dry, sloping, sunny outdoor pen. Thanks 4 reply.