Butterflies, Caterpillars, and Host Plants.
Jay 6a Chicago
5 years ago
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Jay 6a Chicago
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Butterfly host plant shrubs
Comments (4)Perennialfan, have you posted your question in the Butterfly Gardening Forum? There are some real experts over there, if you want some further information besides the good stuff you've seen here. Personally, I try to avoid a lot of host plants because I seem to have so many birds that visit the gardens! They really go after caterpillars and even pupas, though they leave the butterflies alone, pretty much. The Monarch caterpillars on the Asclepias are always safe, though....See MoreWanting to plant host plants for butterflies/Houston area
Comments (13)"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!...See MoreI have a question
Comments (1)You might try googling "Butterflies and Moths of California. That is how I got a lot of info on Wisconsin butterflies John...See MoreStrange...
Comments (3)I bought my pipe vine at Las Pilitas. They sell the native arstolochia californica (sierra giant pipe vine). I had a really difficult time finding anyone who sold native pipe vine. Give yourself time. They will show eventually. Meanwhile add lots of nectar plants and butterflies will come. When I lived in SD I remember the willow tree and passion vine was always hit with cat's. Edna Here is a link that might be useful: Sierra Giant Pipe Vine...See MoreIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
5 years agojaviwa
5 years agoMars SC Zone 8b Mars
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMars SC Zone 8b Mars
3 years agoMars SC Zone 8b Mars
3 years ago
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Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)