A Florida Guide To Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants - FWC

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• Buy and Apply
  • Recreational
    • Fishing & Hunting
      • How to Order
      • Do I Need a License?
      • Limited Entry/Quota Hunts
    • Public Land Use
    • Accessibility Accommodations
  • Commercial
    • Commercial Licenses
      • Commercial Saltwater
      • Commercial Freshwater
      • CLS Online Login
    • Charter Licenses
    • Vessel Pier Licenses
  • Wildlife
    • Wildlife Permits
    • Nuisance Wildlife Permits
    • Captive Wildlife Permits
  • More ...
    • Application Forms
    • Boating & Navigation
• Resolve a Wildlife Conflict
  • Wildlife Alert
    • Report a Violation
    • Know the Rules
      • Captive Wildlife
      • Saltwater Recreational Regulations
      • Freshwater Recreational Regulations
      • Hunting Regulations
      • Boating Regulations
      • See All
  • Resolve Wildlife Conflict
    • Learn to Unhook Seabirds
    • Living with Wildlife
      • Bear
      • Bats
      • Coyote
      • Alligators and Crocodiles
      • Shorebirds/Seabirds
      • Snakes
      • See All
  • Report Issues
    • Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc.
      • Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program
      • Report Fish Kills
      • Red Tide Status
      • Report Sightings of Nonnative Species
      • Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees
      • See All
• Engaging in Conservation
  • Conservation
    • Value of Conservation
    • Living with Wildlife
    • Freshwater Programs
    • Saltwater Programs
    • Terrestrial Programs
    • Stash the trash
    • Special Initiatives
      • Coastal Wildlife
      • State Wildlife Action Plan
      • See All
  • Wildlife and Habitats
    • Wildlife Conservation
    • Nonnative Species
    • Species Profiles
      • Alligator
      • Bald Eagle
      • Bear
      • Gopher Tortoise
      • Manatee
      • Panther
      • Sea Turtle
      • See All
  • How You Can Conserve
    • Install Wildlife Lighting
    • Exotic Pet Amnesty
    • Habitat Management
      • Working with Private Landowners
      • Invasive Plants
      • Prescribed Fire
      • Management Plans
      • Aquatic Habitat Conservation
      • See All
    • Education
      • Educators
      • Outdoor Skills
      • Learn about Wildlife
      • See All
  • Research
    • Freshwater
    • GIS and Mapping
    • Habitat
    • Manatee
    • Red Tide
    • Saltwater
    • Wildlife
    • Publications
    • About
• Things To Do
  • Fishing
    • Freshwater Fishing
      • Recreational Regulations
      • Commercial Regulations
      • Fish Identification
      • Fishing Education
      • Sites & Forecasts
      • See All
    • Saltwater Fishing
      • Recreational Regulations
      • Commercial Regulations
      • Fish Identification
      • Saltwater Fishing Clinics
      • Provide Comments
      • See All
  • Hunting
    • Regulations
      • WMA Brochures
      • Season Dates
      • Hunter Safety
      • Limited Entry Hunts
    • New Hunter
    • Public Shooting Ranges
    • Alligator
    • Deer
    • Dove
    • Turkey
    • Quail
    • Waterfowl
    • Wild Hog
  • Wildlife Recreation
    • Wildlife Viewing
      • Where to View Wildlife
      • How to View Wildlife
      • Backyards and Beyond
      • Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
      • See All
    • Recreation on Wild Lands
      • What are WMAS?
      • Explore by name
      • Explore by map
      • What to Do
      • See All
  • Boating
    • Regulations
    • Safety & Education
      • Safety Equipment
      • ID Cards
      • Courses
      • See All
    • Boat Ramps & Access
    • Derelict Vessels
    • Stash the trash
    • Wear It Florida
    • Wildlife Alert
• Places To Go
  • WMAs
    • WMA Brochures
      • Area Opened/Closed Status
    • What are Wildlife Management Areas?
      • Explore By Name
      • Explore the Map
      • See All
  • Recreation
    • Where to Go
      • Hunting
      • Fishing
      • Wildlife Viewing
      • Hiking
      • See All
    • Outfitters and Guides
  • Public Shooting Ranges
    • Range Safety Rules
    • Safety & Education
    • Map of public shooting ranges
  • Go Outdoors Florida!
    • Discover Wildlands
    • Fishing Sites & Forecasts
    • Boating Ramps & Access
    • Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail
    • Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network
    • Calendar of Events
    • Artificial Reefs
• About Us
  • About
    • Inside FWC
      • Research Institute
      • Hunting and Game Management
      • Freshwater Fisheries Management
      • Law Enforcement
      • Habitat and Species Conservation
      • Marine Fisheries Management
      • See All
  • Commission
    • Commission Meetings
    • Commissioners
    • Agency Overview
    • Strategic Planning
    • Rules & Regulations
    • News
      • Sign up for news releases
  • Contact
    • Social Media
    • FWC Offices
    • Law Enforcement
    • Wildlife Alert
    • Tell Us What You Think
    • Rule Change Comments
    • Public Records Requests
    • Order Publications
    • Signs
    • Participation at Your Event
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Internships
    • Employment
      • Law Enforcement
      • Career Opportunities
    • Support FWC
      • Gift Ideas
      • Youth Programs and Activities
      • Donate
      • Buy-a-Plate

• Home
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• Gopher Tortoise Program
• How You Can Help
• A Florida Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants

A Florida Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants

Gopher tortoises graze on a variety of native and nonnative plants, including broadleaf grasses, wiregrass, prickly pear grass, wild grape, blackberry, blueberry, and many more. They generally feed within 160 feet of their burrows but have been known to travel more than twice that distance to meet their foraging needs.

If you are fortunate enough to share your property with a gopher tortoise and its burrow or are looking to attract a gopher tortoise to your yard, there are ways you can help this threatened species. Plants can be added to your property that gopher tortoises feed on. Many of these plants will blend in beautifully with your landscaping while also attracting native species of birds and butterflies.

A Florida Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants provides lists of trees, shrubs, vines, flowers and grasses which gopher tortoises like to eat.

Plants you are considering to improve forage for gopher tortoises in Florida have varying levels in terms of their quality as food for tortoises. Forage importance is classified as very high, high, moderate and low:

• Very High Level forage species produce generally very high biomass; tortoises seek them out and prefer these plants over other available species.
• High Level forage species produce high biomass; tortoises seek them out.
• Moderate Level forage species are those that tortoises will seek out but they produce a low to moderate amount of biomass or may produce a lot of biomass for a very short amount of time (as in seasonal fruits).
• Low Level forage species are those plants tortoises will eat when they are available or perhaps because that plant is all that is available. Tortoises may even avoid these plant species when others are available. Some very restricted seasonal fruits (that are preferred and sought out) are classified as low level because they are so rarely available to the tortoises in any quantity, and the tortoise must compete with other wildlife for the biomass amount that is available.

To discover which plants suit the needs of gopher tortoises and also grow where you live, find your FWC region (see map below) and click on the corresponding links.

Northwest

North Central

Northeast

Southwest

South

Additional Resources

• A Florida Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants
• Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS)
• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
• Institute of Food and Agricultural Services (UF/IFAS)
• Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC)

💬 Ask Buck! ✖