I have lots of host plants, which butterflies do you have? I think you're on the Monarch migratory route, so I can definitely send you Milkweed, and other hosts if your local bf's are the same as mine:) Sharon

"About passionvine...do you know if it spreads so easily like that up north?" Most varieties of passionvine do go crazy, but the cats make quick work of it once the gulf frits find it! Last year, I had dozens of cats at any one time, and most of the summer, they'd eaten every tiny speck green from the vine (they'd sort of crawl around pathetically looking for food... I gave a couple hundred cats over a period of a few months to a friend who grows a ton of passionvine so she could feed them). My vine has recovered and is growing wonderfully right now, nice and lush, but I've seen frits in my yard already, so it's just a matter of time before they devour it again. So, in short, if you're growing passionvine for butterfly gardening, you can never have enough, and I consider it a plus that it grows so well. The first butterflies I ever raised (I'm in Houston, too) were swallowtails--I went to harvest some parsley one day, and discovered cats on it (that's how I got into butterfly gardening, actually--it was a happy accident). Now I grow a bunch of fennel for them, which they prefer over the parsley (they won't touch the parsley until the fennel is gone), and the fennel grows really well in our area and is very easy to find at all the garden centers, so try that, too. I'm also growing frog fruit and blue pea vines this year, and both of those host plants are growing very nicely right now, but no cats yet on either. And, of course, milkweed, but no matter how much I have it's never enough. Good luck!

jibd, Here's my experience with your listed plants: Coral Honeysuckle (Hummingbird Clearwing Moth)-I've never tried, but it's certainly worth a shot. New England Aster-I have these for the Pearl Crescents; very pretty and hope to find cats on them someday. Purple Coneflower-without a doubt one of the most favored plants in my garden for nectaring; don't know if I've ever had a Silvery Checkerspot cat on them or not. I definitely wouldn't be without this plant! Shasta Daisy-the butterflies never showed any interest in mine so I ripped them out. Butterfly Weed-the milkweed here that is laid on the least, but the butterflies love it for nectaring. Common Milkweed-I've never tried, didn't want it popping up all over the place. Swamp Milkweed-2nd most liked milkweed here by the Monarchs for laying eggs; first most is tropical milkweed (annual). 'Silver Brocade' Artemisia-don't know if this is the kind of artemisia that I have but I get American Lady cats on it. Sunflower-my first attempt at planting these was this year and they didn't come up, probably because of the drought. Parsley-Black Swallowtail cats lay eggs on it here. Dill-BST cats lay eggs on that here too. Native violets-I get lots of fresh-looking Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies here every year; I'm guessing that they come from all of the violets that we have here. Hollyhock-I tried this plant for 3 years, but every year the sawfly larvae would have the plants skeletonized before I even saw any Painted Lady butterflies here. I ended up ripping it out. Black-eyed Susans-I've had Silvery Checkerspot cats on mine but not this year. False Nettle-this is only the first year that mine has been growing and because of the drought my plants haven't done well (even with watering). I saw Red Admiral butterflies, but I can't blame them for not wanting to lay on the plants. Other host plants that I have and have had luck with are: Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)-I get Wild Indigo Duskywing and Clouded Sulphur cats on this. Wild Senna (Cassia hebecarpa)-I also get sulphur cats on these plants. Wild Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)-I get Silver-spotted Skippers cats on my plants. I also have various typed of trees and bushes planted for host plants for the butterflies, but you didn't mention trees on your lists so I didn't know if you don't have the room for them...so I won't mention those. Best of luck with your garden! Cathy

Sheila - are the pawpaws for the giant swallowtails? do you see them down there in z7? I have a hops vine and have seen more anglewings in my yard since getting it - never seen caterpillars but there are a few holes in it. Sure beats nettles. I planted the lindera last year, for the spicebush swallowtails. And I have a couple sweetbay magnolias and a aesculus pavia but did not know they were host plants. Violets? I have a lot of gr. spangled fritillaries and a lawn full of violets. This year I am planting lots of dill and bronze fennel, and asclepias tuberosa (supposedly a heavy soil selection) and a. currasavica. Lisa