Anyone know this leaf? Willow family? Safe for buns?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hiya – out for a specific-reason walk tonight, lateish 9pm, dark outside – I found myself in company of 2 people standing in their respective doorways looking directly out towards the target – my local weeping willow tree where I “trim” its lower branches from time to time!!!!

An innoncent ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ round the block walk lead me back to the tree (funny that!) and they were still there….!!!!

Not wanting to look too suspicious, I came home empty handed to my disappointed Zou.

However, there is another tree which from a distance ressembles the weeping willow. It has the same weeping’y type shape from afar. But on getting close to it, it does not have long thin silvery ‘ladies’ fingers’ leaves, they have ‘normal shaped’ leaves, not silvery and are shorter and fatter leaves. These trees are quite common too.

I took one tiny branch (no one there of course!!) and Zou chomped up the 2 leaves I gave her as enthusiastically as she does the weeping willow kind.

Does anyone recognise these leaves…?

I can always take a photo of the actual tree in daytime (cunning plan! ) but in the meantime, Zou would like to know if she can eat the other 8 leaves on the ktichen table…

Is it from the willow family? Are they safe for buns?

(Thumb in photo for idea of size – the leaves are quite small)

[LBJ10]

Looks like some kind of poplar.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I quote :

“Poplar (genus Populus), genus of some 35 species of trees in the WILLOW family (Salicaceae), native to the Northern Hemisphere”

Oooohhhhh, does that mean it’s OK for buns??!!

[LBJ10]

As far as I know, poplar is safe.

[LBJ10]

Could be birch too. The leaves are kinda tattered.

[LBJ10]

Okay, did a Google search. I think it’s silver birch, which is native to Europe. The leaves look different than the birch trees I’m familiar with. Look it up and see if that’s it.

Either way, birch is safe for buns too.

[Azerane]

Without being terribly familiar with them, my first thought was also birch, though I couldn’t say which species. Most if not all birch are safe though.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, def looks like silver birch. There’s weeping varieties of birch too. Also weeping beech with similar leave. Beech is bunny safe also.

Is the willow tree in someone’s yard (ie the people watching you)? Lol. They probably wouldn’t mind if you asked to take some whenever you go past.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Oooooh yes birch !!! A weeping birch !!!
I am one VERY excited bunny mummy! !!.

Spying all the birches in the vicinity as I drive by with secateurs in the glove compartment!!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Is willow / birch like hay ? – Can they have unlimited amounts ?

And is purslane OK for buns…??

It was on sale today and I didn’t know what it was. (“Pourpier” in French, for those interested!)

Google has just informed me that purslane is a wonder plant eaten cold in salads or cooked – the only known plant that has omega-3 fatty acids in its “thick succulent” leaves… with anti-inflammatory and antioxydant properties !! Well well, I won’t go to bed tonight as stupid as I woke up this morning !

[Vienna Blue in France]

Any bun know about purslane ?

And can buns have unlimited willow or birch?. Cause today out on in the woods I’ve pretty much brought them home enough willow for a month!! yum

[LBJ10]

Willow leaves are higher in protein, but I don’t know about bark/wood.

Purslane is safe to feed, but it’s one of the “veggies” that should be fed in moderation. Many buns don’t care for it though. It can taste bitter, depending on when it was harvested.

[jerseygirl]

You can just buy purslane in grocery stores there? * Envious* It’s a bit of a superfood, so yes, throw some leaves in your salad!

[Azerane]

I had to google purslane, would surprise me to see it in a supermarket, it’s a very prolific weed of my mum’s driveway in the right season

[jerseygirl]

Ive stood in my sisters yard and sampled it. I don’t have any at home.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Lol. There’s a sort of a town farm set up here and there is what there is….. 1,60eur for a small crate. Sometimes it can be 20 carrots, 30 bananas, 3 melons….. And this week there was this stuff… Purslane. Zou didn’t think much of it. I don’t need to tell you The Hoover did !!! Lol

@Az. You could make some money with your Mum’s driveway. Be inventive. Set up a stall!!!

[jerseygirl]

@Az. You could make some money with your Mum’s driveway. Be inventive. Set up a stall!!!

Haha she could sell it to me!

[jerseygirl]

Regarding willow, since they love it so much, reserve what you can and give like you would other treats. Always good to have on hand when one bun is feeling a bit off. Whenever any of my rabbits have been off normal foods, willow is something that is usually accepted.

Personally, I wouldnt give them heaps of it at once and every day. Well, until you know how they go with it. I give a stem that has maybe has 20-50 (?) leaves on it to my pairs. I have one rabbit that I suspect willow makes him a little nutty later on. These sorts of foods have higher tannin content so you don’t want to over do it. Some tannins can be really good though when there is some tummy troubles.

Do you have hawthorn trees there also. That’s another rabbits like. 

[Vienna Blue in France]

“A little nutty”…. ooooo that’s interesting…. I’ll keep an eye out.

I’m going to strip the branches, dry and bag the leaves and then cut the naked branches into straw length bits… easier to store ! My kitchen is seriously looking like rabbits have taken over the ship !

Needless to say I’ve given up looking for a lodger for now….

Don’t buy the purslane from Maman Az – go get some yourself… Sell it on and gve her a cut of the proceeds

[jerseygirl]

“A little nutty”…. ooooo that’s interesting…. I’ll keep an eye out.

Haha, perhaps i should have chosen a different word come to think of it.   Henry…

What i mean my bun seems more bratty then usual hours later. But i can’t confirm the cause is the willow.

[Niamian]

Birch. Typical one for this parts of the globe.

[LBJ10]

Fresh banana. And it has to be fresh! Makes mine super hyper and naughty.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Now you mention it Zou has had willow since yesterday and is NOT happy with Henry’s presence…

[Bam]

It’s birch. Ok for buns. They say the tips of the twigs have some kind of toxin in them during winter/early spring, before the new leaves come, as a protective measure against elks and big deer. I don’t know if it’s true, but as a safety measure, don’t give the naked twigs in winter. The leaves are fine though.

When Yohio first had dental pain, all he wanted to eat was willow (weeping willow). There’s salicylic acid in willow, it has a mild pain killing effect.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Does anyone know if pear tree branches and leaves are ok too (pears are ok) ? Apples yes… but other fruit trees?

[jerseygirl]

Pear tree is fine.
The trees with single stone fruits are to be avoided.
I’m not sure about citrus trees but I don’t think rabbits would go for them much anyway.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Posted By jerseygirl on 10/24/2016 9:55 AM

  The trees with single stone fruits are to be avoided.  
.

How interesting…. but why the difference? Peach fruit is on the OK for buns list but plum isn’t mentioned…

[jerseygirl]

Which list did you see peach on?
The fruit is ok but I didn’t think the rest of the tree was.

I think the safe v’s unsafe woods is to do with the tannin levels and maybe the resins? Not really sure on difference in the leaves.

[jerseygirl]

One exception of the single stone fruit tree “rule” is sloe or blackthorn. I believe they can eat leaves of that. The wild rabbits do.
Might be one for moderation perhaps??

[Vienna Blue in France]

On the HRS list – between Parsnip and Pear

[Bam]

Cherry and plum and peach etc has cyanide or a compound that becomes cyanide in the tummy. It’s in the whole plant exept the fruit flesh (lots of it in the pits). Apple and pear seeds also has cyanide, but the rest of the tree + fruit is fine. It’s the same compound that’s in bitter almond. If you make cherry jam some recepies recommend you crack open like a 1/3 of the pits and use the kernels in the jam. Apricot kernels are often used as a substitute for some of the almond-content in marcipan.

[Vienna Blue in France]

To everybody – if you look up the word ‘bam’ in any dictionary, the definition is as follows : “fountain of knowledge” …

[Bam]

I’ve just made lots of cherry jam. I used to have great access to sour cherries. I don’t anymore, but nowadays I’ve got lots of raspberries and pears =)

Another exception to the single-stone fruits is hawthorn. Bunnies love those. They happily eat the leaves too.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Yeah but you have to have megathick gardening gloves in your bag whenever you go out, just in case you see a hawthorn bush !!! lol

Cherry jam made from raspberries and pears..?.. cool !

[Bam]

Nah, you just avoid the thorns, Vienna. The berries are easy to pick without encountering any thorns.

Seabuckthorn is great for buns too.

I don’t make jam anymore. But lots of apple/rowanberry jelly.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Ohhh, I’ve just re-read your post – I thought you were saying you’d just made some cherry jam, like that morning !
Not that you’d ‘just’ made lots of cherry jam (in the past…) Makes sense now !

And ssshh, don’t say “Rowan” – you’ll set LBJ off

[Bam]

Oh, sorry about that

[Vienna Blue in France]

Here’s another crop / leaf to identify plese 
I saw a whole field of it yesterday when cycling in the countryside – they looked exactly like carrot tops from a little distance away but when up close you can see it’s not the same feathery type that carrot tops have.

Any ideas ?  (of course it would have been easier to find a farmer and ask him… but we didn’t… )

[jerseygirl]

Not too sure on this one Vienna but I’d be too scared it was tansy or ragwort.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Ooo crikey – checking Google, it does look like Tansy doesn’t it… but why grow fields upon fields of it in a crop agricultural sense ?
It wasn’t just there, it was being farmed…

(I have NO idea what tansy is in French….)

Scientifical name = Tanacetum vulgare / Tanaisie

I’ll keep it away from buns then until I know (tbh they did have a tiny nibble last night, Henry jumped on it (quelle surprise!!) and Zou left it…

[Bam]

I think it’s tansy. It’s not ragwort, the leaves are “meatier” on ragwort. It was used as a dewormer in the olden days, but it was risky because the toxicity of the plant apparently varies a lot depending on time of year and place of growth. Same toxin as in wormworth, that makes sense. Not good food for buns.

Had to google a French name for it, it has several, chartreuse is one of them. That’s interesting.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I saw another field full yesterday in the car…. I am SO stopping the next tractor i see to ask what it is….

[Vienna Blue in France]

and the answer is… Phacelia.

Grown in crop fields to absorb the nitrates in the soil and is a natural fertliser which they mix in for the following year…..

Ta daaa. And as they say in French, we’ll go to bed less stupid tonight…..

[jerseygirl]

Ah, mystery solved then. Thanks for the update!

[Bam]

Phacelia! Had to google. It’s called honeyherb here. It’s apparently not toxic, but a skin-irritant.

[jerseygirl]

Really Bam? I was getting it as being blue or purple tansy when I did quick google. I didn’t spend much time reading about it though. I did see some other names and I suppose there are a ton of cultivars.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I saw blue tansy too!
I haven’t picked any more anyhoo….

[Bam]

I found it to be called tansy-leaved phacelia, and that made sense, the leaf on your pic is very tansy-like. The two plants don’t seem related though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacelia_tanacetifolia is the pretty blue one, Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) has yellow flowers and contains tujon.

I’ve grown phacelia for bees and butterflies, but I’ve never given any of it to the buns because I wasn’t sure about it. 

[Vienna Blue in France]

Better to be safe than so sorry….. I’m not touching the stuff….

[Author]

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