Seeking recommendation for indoor tree

[LeeC]

My house is open-floorplan, with a 24'-high vaulted ceiling, and several skylights. I have a 5'-wide sliding door I can use to bring it inside. I would like to add a living, (large-) potted tree, that is parrot-safe. I have reviewed parrot-safe "wood" lists, but trying to cross-reference that long list to something that could work as an indoor tree is daunting. I would like to buy the tree at a size that my Timneh could land on the branches from the start. Any help on tree species would be much appreciated.

 

[HeatherG]

I’ve considered corkscrew willows, but my apartment doesn’t have enough room. You can buy them in big rooted “sticks” that you pot. But they are probably not ready to be perched on as such.

A small tree of a size to be perched on would be pricey, but possible. How about a small oak, maple, Japanese maple, willow, aspen? You might need supplemental light. Or you could try a mini citrus tree…do you think your bird would strip and kill it? In that case you might just find a big dead branch, clean it up, and pot it…that’s probably what I would do. In fact I have potted big branches in big terra cotta pots using plaster of Paris to hold the branch upright.

Hibiscus are beautiful and safe, but often infested with aphids. And your bird would certainly eat the sweet flowers and maybe the leaves.

 

[LeeC]

So, I bought some dragonwood a while back. I have plenty of suitable branches for my parrots.

This is my Florida room. The framing was designed for two aviaries, one for each of my first two parrots, but it became attachment points for branches.

However, I want them to experience an actual tree, with close branches for the challenge of navigating landings, climbing, etc. If the tree produced edibles, that would be a fantastic bonus.

I have space for good-sized tree. Find the 'Teil (He is about 23' off the main floor.) :]

My house has an indoor balcony of sorts. (That railing was slippery, so I added grip.)

This list I found makes me wary of Maple.

Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Parrots. Parrot cages.

Bird; Birds. Perch wood. Safe and Poisonous Trees, Wood, Woods. Perch. Perches. Cages. Playstands. Parrots, cockatiels, cockatoos, budgies, parakeets, conures, macaws, african grey

mdvaden.com

I am willing to risk the parrots eventually killing the tree.

My local nursery just recommended an Umbrella Plant as something available here.

I looked into the Umbrella Plant to check if its safe for parrots and found it is safe for them to perch on. Some can get up to 8-10' indoors. That may be your best bet.

I will have to research if it is also safe for chewing. I like the idea of citrus trees. They will become available locally over the winter.

 

[MissMac]

Umbrella Plant

Umbrella plant is not toxic but the tree IS. In fact it is banned for sale here in Oz because it is considered a poisonous plant. This link has heaps of things listed, that might help.

Ultimate list of 1,400+ bird-safe and toxic plants - Free Range Parrots

Find toxic and non-toxic plants, flowers, and woods in a searchable database, backed by high-quality sources.

freerangeparrots.com

 

[HeatherG]

I would be comfortable having a young maple in an atrium. Yes, I read your article, but I don’t agree with it. Any tree species could have fungus in the bark.

If I bought a young tree I would perhaps leave it potted outside for a while to wash off any pesticides or herbicides that had been sprayed on it. Or I would get something that I knew had not been sprayed.

 

[Cottonoid]

So.... My parrot wants to know if you have any vacancies. He's too busy ogling and being smitten with your tiel to let me reference my tree list at the moment

 

[LeeC]

So.... My parrot wants to know if you have any vacancies. He's too busy ogling and being smitten with your tiel to let me reference my tree list at the moment

@Cottonoid That 'Teil, Ozzy, he was only here a few weeks. I was asked to board him. He was an instant hit here--just such a charming parrot. Everybody liked Ozzy--even my female Senegal who wants to kill all other parrots. Ozzy perched on her "home" roosting "perch" (formerly my pullup bar), and not only did Georgia not kill him; she did not chase him off either--she just sat there, chilling with him on her chosen place of all places.

In exploring the new place, Ozzy lands on Georgia's most prized place. For months she would dive-bomb me if I carried another parrot under that area. (He is about 11' above the floor.)

(Oh, you can see my foyer bird-netting, so a bird cannot fly out the front door when I come and go.)

What happens next? Georgia, who typically tries to land on a parrot to displace them, lands beside him and respectfully gives him his space on her home roost.

(I don't trim nails, so all of my parrots love to climb jeans--on them and in them.)

 

[Littleredbeak]

I have Hibiscus trees! Out during the spring and summer in for the winter

 

[LeeC]

I have Hibiscus trees! Out during the spring and summer in for the winter

Well that is two votes for Hibiscus. Thanks, @HeatherG and @Littleredbeak. I am on hold with my local garden nursery right now. :]

 

[HeatherG]

Well that is two votes for Hibiscus. Thanks, @HeatherG and @Littleredbeak. I am on hold with my local garden nursery right now. :]

They are safe—people drink hibiscus tea all the time!

 

[LeeC]

They are safe—people drink hibiscus tea all the time!

@HeatherG, the nursery is holding four Hibiscus "trees" for me. They do treat them with an "organic" oil, which they are confirming is safe for birds.

 

[HeatherG]

@HeatherG, the nursery is holding four Hibiscus "trees" for me. They do treat them with an "organic" oil, which they are confirming is safe for birds.

If needed you could gently spray them with mild soap to remove the oil (might be partly neem oil or tea tree).

 

[LeeC]

If needed you could gently spray them with mild soap to remove the oil (might be partly neem oil or tea tree).

@HeatherG, that is a great idea. I use plain castile soap, which I could mix with water in a sprayer. I do wonder how much of the oil the plant absorbed, though.

 

[LeeC]

They are safe—people drink hibiscus tea all the time!

@HeatherG, I get what you meant: that even though it is a flower/plant, it is safe, even for people. I think we have to be careful with that logic, though, because people drink coffee, beer, and wine all the time, too--and those are considered unsafe for parrots.

 

[HeatherG]

I’m guessing it’s a carrier oil plus neem oil, a common insect killer. I don’t know if that’s dangerous for birds but I know directly on skin neem oil is harsh.