Although we consider the parrots who live in our homes our companions, they are still biologically wild animals, designed to live in and among trees and plants. Researchers are finding that parrots in the wild eat an abundance of leaves, flowers, twigs and bark.

There are micro-nutrients and trace elements found in whole living plants, whose nutritional benefits are as yet not fully understood, and cannot be replicated in a pellet. Providing your parrot with as many natural materials as possible will enhance both their physical and mental health.

LIVE PLANTS PROVIDE:
Nutrition: vitamins, minerals, micro nutrients, trace elements and live enzymes.
Enrichment: climbing, chewing and shredding plants provide both physical and mental stimulation, which can help alleviate undesirable behaviors such as screaming or feather picking.
Air Quality: plants are natural air filters, removing pollutants from the environment and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, and help to maintain humidity levels.
Sound Control: both in the home and in the landscape, plants absorb and buffer sound.

HOUSE PLANTS
Safety First! Please make sure that all plants in your house are safe. If you find that you have plants that are on the toxic list, or that you are unsure of, give these to a friend or neighbor without inquisitive parrots in their home.

Always use organic potting soil. Use parrot safe containers. Never use pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. Keep soil covered with plastic mesh or river rock if your bird has a tendency to dig in the soil. Mix some GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) into watering solution to inhibit the growth of fungus in the soil.

Some common SAFE houseplants include: Aloe, African Violet, Asparagus Fern, Boston Fern, Bromeliads, Coleus, Norfolk Island Pine, Prayer Plant, Schefflera, Spider Plant, Staghorn Fern, Swedish Ivy and Wandering Jew.

Some common TOXIC houseplants; Amaryllis, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron and Poinsettia.

ALOE is a houseplant that every parrot owner should have. Aloe contains powerful pain relievers, anti-inflammatory compounds; relieves itchiness; soothes the digestive tract; heals abscesses and cysts; kills E.Coli, fungus, mycobacterium, strep and staph infections, and salmonella; and treats respiratory infections, yeast infections and parasites.

NATURAL BRANCH PERCHES provide an endless variety of shapes, diameters and textures that enhance the health of your parrot’s feet. Placing branches at unusual angles can provide climbing and balancing exercise. You can make you own perches by selecting a parrot safe variety of wood, scrub well with an organic, nontoxic soap, rinse well, and dry in the sun. Ends can be wedged between cage bars, notched to fit around bars, or fitted with hanger bolts and wing nuts.

Chewing and stripping bark off of natural branch perches provide additional enrichment and nutritional benefits. Branches and twigs can also be bundled and placed in the cage for foraging enrichment. Try some with fresh leaves still intact too.

Some SAFE woods for parrots include: Ash, Apple, Aspen, Bamboo, Beech, Birch, Butterfly Bush, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Dogwood, Grapevine, Lilac, Magnolia, Mulberry, Pear, Poplar, Sassafras, Sweet Gum, Sycamore, Viburnum, and Willow. Remember to use only branches from trees that have not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.

GARDEN IN A POT
If you don’t have the time or space for a big garden, consider creating a container garden. By choosing and a variety of textures and shades of healthy greens, and mixing in a few vegetables, berries, herbs and some edible flowers, you can have a container garden that is delicious, nutritious and beautiful. Choose a parrot safe container, such as plastics or unglazed terracotta. Avoid glazed terracotta, as many glazes contain heavy metals and other toxic substances. Use organic potting soil made specifically for containers (NOT garden soil) and organic fertilizers such as those made from seaweed. Whenever possible, choose organically grown seeds or plants. Gently remove the soil from the roots of non-organic plants, and replant in organic soil. Wait at least 30 days before offering it to your parrot. Avoid plants that have been treated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

WHY GROW YOUR OWN?
Freshness: Vitamins and nutrient values found in fresh vegetables and other produce steadily decline as soon as they are harvested. In some vegetables their vitamin content may be depleted by as much as half, only minutes after being cut (harvested) and up to 70% or more by the time you see them at your grocery store.

Organic: You have control over the type of soil, fertilizers, weed and pest control.

Variety: There are far more varieties of a given plant available in a nursery or garden center than are available in a grocery store or even most farmers markets. There are even more varieties of a given plant available to grow from seed than can be found as plants in a nursery or garden center.

Dark Leafy Greens & Veggies are rich in vitamin A (critical to parrot’s heath and lacking in most diets), omega 3s (which support the brain, heart and immune system); calcium (for bone strength, and a variety of other vitamins, minerals & nutrients). Try Kale, Cabbages, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Broccoli Rabb, Arugula, Celery, Beets and Carrots.

Herbs add wonderful fragrance to your home, when chewed on by your parrot, making for a safe and healthy alternative to dangerous chemical air fresheners. Many herbs are known to have medical benefits as well. Try Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Basil, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Peppermint and it’s different flavored mint cousins.

Edible Flowers not only add visual appeal to any garden, but are greatly relished by most parrots. Many edible flowers contain nutritional and medicinal properties. Try Calendula, Chamomile, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Pansies, Violets, Carnations, Daylilies, Petunias, Lilacs, and Butterfly Bush. Remember that the flowers of your dark leafy greens and herbs are edible too. NEVER give your parrots from a florist!!!!!

Bring the container garden into the house for brief foraging sessions for your parrot. You can harvest some plants and add to your parrot’s food bowl, stainless steel foraging basket, or weave between the bars of her cage.

If you’re lucky enough to have the money and the space to buy or build an outdoor aviary, the plants can be kept inside the aviary and available when the birds come outside.

Bring you parrot outside in a travel cage, or better yet, make your own Cageoller, carrier or travel cage mounted on a baby stroller base, which can be easily moved around the yard for a variety of plant chewing experiences.

For more excellent information from Laura Ford about gardening for parrots, go to: https://abirdsbestlife.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/benefits-of-plants-for-parrots/