WELCOME!

Exotic Edibles specializes in organically grown plants for you and your pets.  We offer container plants meant for the enrichment of your animal companions and  neighboring wildlife.

We've been growing unique plants since 1997 for private owners and zoos.  Exotic Edibles has also done presentations for a number of specialty clubs in the Northeast.   

Feel free to use this site to learn more about some of the exotic plants which are safe for animals.  We will be adding first-hand growing tips and pertinent information on a monthly basis, so keep checking back. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meet the "Board of Directors" of Exotic Edibles. Each has made their own special contribution to improve the types of plants listed.

  MONTANA…CEO and PRESIDENT

Montana is an African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) who arrived in 1986. He supervises the care of  various plants and "gardens" them vigorously. If a plant species makes it through the winter in the bird room with Montana, it's considered hardy to abuse by our standards. Its been interesting to observe that Montana seems to "recognize" those plants which are native to his natural habitat. He enjoys preening and fussing over them. Before the plants, it was difficult to keep Montana entertained since he doesn't often like to play with toys and other birdie stuff.

   JACKIE CHAN…GARDENING BEAGLE

 Jackie's chief responsibility is checking on all the plants when they are outdoors. He diligently sniffs out any rodents that dare come within ten feet. Once in a while, he even startles one of the toads which makes their home among the plants and feeds on insect pests. These he allows to stay. Jackie was born in December of 1997 and spent his first year and a half as a laboratory animal. He enjoys his new line of work much better.

 

GOMEZ…QUALITY CONTROL OFFICER

Gomez was named before her previous owners knew that "he" was actually a she! A Green –winged Macaw (Ara chloroptera), Gomez joined Montana in 1987. She generally follows his lead in exploring the plants, although she is much less destructive. Instead she is content to sit among them and enjoy the foliage. Her favorite part of the day is when the plants are misted. She takes advantage of the "rain" by ruffling her feathers to soak in as much moisture as  possible.

PIPPIN & POPPIN…TASTE TESTERS

These little birds are Goldie's Lorikeets (Trichoglossus goldiei). They are one of the main reasons Exotic Edibles exists. The natural food of Lorikeets (and Lories) is pollen and nectar; their tongues are specially adapted for this diet. They are often known as "brush-tongued" parrots which refers to the cluster of elongated papillae on the tip of the tongue. In their native habitat, these birds would also feed on budding flowers and various fruits. Pippin and Poppin got so much pleasure out of the fresh flower stalks and branches given to them in the summer that we decided to try growing plants year-round. Both birds are very inquisitive and will fearlessly try anything at least once. Together since 1989, we've experimented with many plant species to keep coming up with ones which will withstand abuse and still thrive.

 MINI-ME…CATNIP EXPERT

The newest addition to the team, Mini-me is a Siberian Lynx (Lynx, lynx) born in May of 1999. Although in her native habitat, there aren't any tropical plants, she enjoys batting around banana leaves and chewing on palm trees. Her special area of expertise is lemon-scented catnip (she comes from a long line of catnip connoisseurs).  In the future, she hopes to expand into knocking over more plants.

 

And finally, Denise. She's the owner and handles the day-to-day stuff like watering, fertilizing, etc. A Licensed Veterinary Technician and Wildlife Rehabber for NY State, Denise has treated exotic animals at the Buffalo Zoo and done volunteer work at Seneca Park Zoo. She grew up on a farm in Ohio which raised white tail deer and currently cares for assorted birds, wild cats, and one beagle. Denise has published over a dozen articles which have appeared in BIRD TALK, BIRDS USA, THE SHAPE OF ENRICHMENT, and the Annual Proceedings for the Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians.