Red leaves?

Summer&Skye

Mama Doe

• Jun 19, 2014

• #1

Feel like I'm being a but stupid but is it ok to feed leaves from safe plants that are red rather than green?! In particular rose bushes sometimes have reddy purpley leaves and I recently got some strawberry plants and some of the leaves are red so I've avoided giving them!

 

Mackers

Wise Old Thumper

• Jun 19, 2014

• #2

I've never heard that you shouldn't feed red leaves. Certainly, strawberry leaves are a safe food so I shouldn't think it matters whether they're green or slightly red-tinged.

 

Elena

Wise Old Thumper

• Jun 19, 2014

• #3

I believe that when leaves go red they have more sugar in, a result of the decaying process. So personally I wouldn't because I have a bunny sensitive to sugar.

 

Summer&Skye

Mama Doe

• Jun 19, 2014

• #4

Hmm interesting! I think the strawberry ones I avoided cos they looked like they are 'turning' but wondered about the rose bushes as the leaves seem to naturally be a deep reddy purpley colour?

 

Tamsin

Administrator

Staff member

• Jun 20, 2014

• #5

I think some roses are naturally more reddish: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/16043/Red-leaved-rose/Details

I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem as long as the leaves look otherwise normal and healthy.

Strawberry leaves do tend to go reddish when they die back in autumn so it might just be old leaves.