Can Bearded Dragons Eat Rose Petals?

Can bearded dragons eat Rose Petals? Are Rose Petals good for bearded dragons? Yes, bearded dragons can eat rose petals. As to whether they’re good for them we’re not overly sure – though we’re fairly certain they’re not bad for them.

It should be noted before you begin to read this article that, in the case of Rose Petals for bearded dragons, there’s very limited nutritional data available and what is suggests Rose Petals actually have no nutritional value at all. So this article is mostly anecdotal in nature, based on experiences of other keepers.

What Are Rose Petals For Bearded Dragons?

Most people would already be familiar with the garden Rose since they’re likely to have either received or sent (or both) them at special occasions at some point in their lives.

The plants themselves, Latin name Rosa, come in various forms, from small bushes, large bushes, climber varieties and some that just cover the ground. Others are grown for their strong fragrances, with others being preferred for their tight flower heads^[1].

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Rose Petals?

Again, we must stress this information is anecdotal in nature. We’re not aware (and have looked) for scientific basis for deciding whether Rose Petals can be fed to bearded dragons and there is no robust data.

That said, every online forum says that Rose Petals are not poisonous to bearded dragons and that some bearded dragons do thoroughly enjoy a good nosh on Rose petals. They probably taste quite nice if the smell is anything to go by.

Many people in online forums are adamant that Rose Petals from the garden should not be fed to bearded dragons due to the risk of pesticides, herbicides and parasites. The risk of pesticides is real – but if they’re grown in your own garden then you’ll be acutely aware of whether you’ve sprayed your Roses or not. Similarly with herbicides – and it’s unlikely you’d spray Roses with herbicides since their purpose is to kill plants (generally weeds).

We think the likelihood of rose petals harbouring parasites that are any risk to bearded dragons is vanishingly small. Your store bought locusts/dubia roaches are far more likely to have parasites despite the breeders best efforts. So don’t let the fear of parasites stop you.

But don’t feed rose petals to bearded dragons if you have sprayed them with any pesticide. Many pesticides contain compounds called organo-phosphates and these are designed to disrupt the nerve endings of animals, which can lead to seizures and death.

Advantages Of Rose Petals For Bearded Dragons

Disadvantages Of Rose Petals For Bearded Dragons

How Should I Feed Rose Petals To A Bearded Dragon?

Rose petals can be fed by hand to bearded dragons if they’ll eat from your hand. They can also be added to a salad bowl to add some additional colour and fragrance appeal.

How Many Rose Petals Should I Feed A Bearded Dragon?

Given that Rose petals have no nutritional value, and don’t appear to contain any toxins (except those that might be sprayed on) our answer would have to be that you can feed as many as you like to your bearded dragon. But do remember, they serve no nutritional purpose and should only be added to a salad as decoration or to provide additional fragrance or flavour that might tempt your bearded dragon to eat the salad.

Can I Grow My Own Rose Petals For Bearded Dragons?

Roses can be grown in just about any garden and the Royal Horticultural Society[1] has a really good growing guide online that will give you all the guidance that you’d need to grow your own Roses.

Just remember to keep that pesticide spray away if you’re thinking of feeding the petals to your bearded dragon when they flower.

Summary

So, can bearded dragons eat Rose Petals and are Rose Petals OK for bearded dragons? The answer is yes, Rose Petals can be fed to bearded dragons and they do appear to be safe providing you know where they’ve been grown and what’s been (or preferably not) used on them.

But as they offer no nutritional value, they should only be used to tempt beardie to eat or provide a bit of extra colour or flavour.

We’d always recommend mixing all these flowers, leaves and vegetables up to provide a balanced diet though.

Frequency: AS AND WHEN.

For more information on other vegetables that Bearded Dragons can eat, please see our larger overview post at ‘What Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons Eat?’

References

1: Royal Horticultural Society – Roses (Rosa) / RHS Gardening fetched on 9th May 2021 from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/roses

Featured Image by Светлана Бердник from Pixabay