What Plants Do Iguanas Eat in the Wild?

Iguanas are a prevalent type of lizard in the wild, and can be tamed to be pets. On top of insects, iguanas eat a wide variety of fruits and plants, which have almost turned them into pests in certain regions of the world where they have overpopulated.

  1. Wild Flowers

    • Iguanas in the wild love to eat wild flowers, like orchids and other exotic flowers that grow in trees or on bushes. In areas like South Florida where there is an overpopulation of iguanas, the numbers of wild flowers and orchids growing in the wild wetland areas have been eaten away by the lizards, who consider these flowers a tasty delicacy. Orchid and wild flower farms strive to prevent iguanas from wandering onto their land or into their greenhouses, as the hungry reptiles can cost those businesses large amounts of money.

    Fruits

    • While wild iguanas don't eat citrus fruit, they will eat a wide variety of other fruits which grow naturally in the wild. Berries, figs, mangoes, tomatoes, bananas and lychees are some of the wild iguana's favorites. These fruits are not only tasty to the lizards but also provide them with vital vitamins and minerals. Orchard farmers regularly have to keep wild iguanas away from their fruits in areas where they overpopulate.

    Green, Leafy Vegetables

    • The preferred food for wild iguanas to eat are green, leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale and turnip greens, which offer crucial vitamins and minerals for an iguanas health. While these types of vegetables are more difficult to find in the wild, plants with similar nutrients as these vegetables are more prevalent, like princess vine, West Indian woodnettle and rock rosemary. These wild plants offer the same vitamins and minerals as these vegetables, and wild iguanas will eat them until they run across these wild vegetables.