I hope they do, too, Sandy! 'The' female giant swallowtail was back early this morning. I saw her lay an egg at the very top of my orange tree - to get this one, I'll need my 8' step ladder, and I may still not be able to reach it. She laid the first two eggs yesterday on a Ptelea trifoliata in my garden. I just got back in from the garden and found two more eggs that she laid on some rue. I put the word "the" in quotes earlier, because there are actually two giant swallowtails hanging out in my garden. I thought 'she' was really getting around, until I saw one GST at one end of the garden and another one at the other end! 'Don't know if they're both females or one is a male. Anyway, it appears that she or they are taking their time laying eggs, not laying a lot all at once like they've done in the past. I got this picture of the one I saw laying an egg on my orange tree as she nectared on milkweed - The gulf frit never came back, at least I haven't seen her, and I haven't found any more than the five original eggs. These five have all turned real dark, so they should be hatching at any moment. If this year is typical, the vines will get chewed down to the nubs sooner or later! :) Sherry

You're right about that, Susan! She laid one egg on a tendril of p. mucronata and another one on the tendril of p. umbilicata, two passis I still have in pots. I'm not sure they're even safe for gulf frits, so I brought the eggs in to raise right from the start. I found all my other eggs on my new p. 'Amethyst' also known as 'Lavender Lady'. I couldn't find a single egg on any p. incarnata, very unusual - maybe she herself ate 'Amethyst' as a cat? She came back and laid some more eggs after I posted, so she's left me quite a few! :) Sherry

They are indeed beautiful! I still remember the first time I saw one and it was now many years ago because it was the first or second year into the butterfly gardening. I am sorry to say though that the pics I took were very blurry. I was in a hurry because i was afraid it would take off and the only thing about the shots is that they at least prove that it was a GF. I didn't see it again today but it might have been out there anyway because it was sooo hot outside that I couldn't take it myself. I heard a little girl walking by say to her mother, "Mommy, there are a ton of butterflies here." I was very happy to hear that. Murray

Learn and find out what the Corky Stem Passion plant looks like. They grow while through out the state of Florida. I have seen them growing in lawns and in between plants in thick hedges. They transplant well if you are able to take a large punt of dirt ball when you lift them from where they are growing. I see them everywhere, but so know what they look like. They are actually very comman growing wild. Birds like the Mocking Bird or Blue Jays eat their small passion fruits. They also eat their seeds and since birds have no teeth, they eat the tiny seeds whole. So when the birds fly around they pup the seeds everywhere anfbthats how you find them. Again the name is Corky Stem Passiflora.