Monarch, Gulf Fritillary, and Zowie Yellow Flame Zinnias
Zowie yellow flame zinnias have drawn butterflies this year -
Sherry
Comments (13)
javiwa
4 years ago
MissSherry
4 years agoRelated Discussions
It can be fun to breed your own zinnias - Part 21
Comments (113)JG, "Does your pink flower have patches of white in it? What else do you have there?" It doesn't seem to have patches of white, just the side effect of poor growing conditions. As for what is what, last year I grew a huge mixture. I think I had Zahara Coral, Big Red, Giant Flowered Mixed, Envy, Candy Cane, Thumbelina, and some kind of white zinnia seed, plus my own from previous years. As you've mentioned, I can definitely see some traits from before. Here's a picture of my little raised bed, with zinnias growing between peppers. They're all pink except possibly the one in the foreground, which appears to be yellow with an orange center. I'm really hoping that it is yellow, because the only yellow flowers that I had last year were from my very first zinnia plant, which was yellow, maybe 4 or 5 years ago. That's not to say that the flower couldn't have gotten the yellow from elsewhere, but I'd like to imagine it came from my plant. I'm eagerly keeping an eye on that one. Also, JG, the latest zinnias that you posted are absolutely gorgeous. I'm guessing it's your camera, but they all have a very pleasant soft glow to them. ZM, nice explanation about the seeds. That's a good solid technique. I have experimented with germinating embryos as well and can confirm that they do behave like you've described, coming up much sooner because of the seed husk. I'm more of an indoor growing person myself, and I'm going to grow zinnias this winter. I may experiment with some odd techniques to see what could happen, like intentionally bending the stems and shaping the plant, cutting liberally and watching what comes of it. I will keep everyone updated for sure. Here's a "Common Buckeye" butterfly sipping some nectar on this hot day:...See Moreprofusion zinnias - losing color
Comments (28)Thanks for the clarification on Carrousel and Whirligig, ZM. You're right 1/4 oz would be a great deal for me. Plus, ordering from a "known" source is less risky than from an unknown. Yes, I have a "Monarch Waystation", which qualifies as such when you grow some milkweed species, the larval host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Their situation becomes worse and worse with each passing year due to habitat destruction. Monarch Watch, a non-profit group out of the University of Kansas, promotes the growing of their host plants by home gardeners in the hopes of replacing those lost to farming, commercial development, housing development, etc. Of particular concern is genetically modified crops such as corn and soybeans, which are herbicide resistant. Farmers can spray their crops now to rid the fields of unwanted weeds and flowers, such as milkweed, without harming these crops. The milkweed losses are astronomical. Monarchs are the only butterfly in North America that migrate thousands of miles between the Oyamel forests in Mexico and Canada each year in spring and fall. To add to tbe dilemma, illegal logging of the Oyamel trees in Mexico has destroyed many of the overwintering sites, thousands of acres, in Mexico. So, you can see our concern. Cudos go to Chip Taylor and the University of Kansas for their efforts to promote gardening for the Monarch butterflies. However, the huge populations of 10 years ago, are unlikely to ever be seen again. If you are interested, plant a few milkweeds, many of which are native to the USA, for the Monarch. Zinnias play into this as they are nectar rich flowers for the butterflies, beautiful and relatively easy to cultivate. Monarch butterflies love them! So do I. So it is a symbiotic relationship. Enough proselytizing. I'm sure you see lots of butterflies in your garden. Susan...See MoreZinnia and Monarch butterflys
Comments (10)Hi, Dave, aren't they gorgeous? I had 4 in my garden yesterday, too! I garden specifically to attract butterflies and their larvae (I grow host plants for them). If you really want to see lots of them, grow some milkweed. There are perennial Asclepias native to your area, and many of us "butterfliers" grow Tropical Milkweed, which performs as an annual North of Zone 8 (Asclepias curassavica). I may have some seeds to share if a freeze doesn't get them first. The Monarchs are migrating right now and lots are showing up in gardens coast to coast. The Monarchs seen East of the Rockies migrate to Mexico. It would be helpful to report your sightings to Journey North, an organization that tracks the progress of the migration. I'll give you a link. Zinnias are a favorite nectar plant for them. I grow them, Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonias, also annual for me), Cosmos, especially C. sulphureus, e.g, 'Cosmic Orange', Golden Crownbeard (a true native annual, Verbesina encelioides), Sunflowers, and the Tropical Milkweed, which is also a nectar plant and larval host plant. Congrats on your Monarch beauties! Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Journey North...See MoreZero to Zinnia in one month
Comments (15)Zenman IS an expert. I'm starting to see just a few brown leaves down low on my zinnias. Scarlet Flame seems to be handling the record heat, drought, and my poor infertile soil slightly better than Zowie. I'm having to water pretty often since it's so dry and it's quicker for me to water overhead which makes them more prone to fungal diseases. EVERYTHING in my yard is needing water this summer so there's no time to do it right. I'm just trying to keep things alive. I'm not a good guesser. I said about 3/4 of the plants had a bloom by July 14th but I counted later and there were only 50. There are about 175-180 plants counting the volunteers so that definitely wasn't 3/4. It was less than 1/3. There are a lot more blooming now. When I went outside just now, there were about a dozen butterflies; Variegated, Great Spangled and Gulf Frits, one Spicebush Swallowtail, a Black Swallowtail, a Silver Spotted Skipper and a sulfur of some sort. I have a lot of Buckeyes but they're partial to verbena b and ignore the zinnias. Variegated Frits like both. I took this photo kind of early this morning and there weren't many butterflies out and about yet....See MoreMissSherry
4 years ago
annabananaflzone9b
4 years agoMissSherry
4 years agoAnna, glad you managed to get some GF eggs before the assassin bugs got them! I was going to quit raising gulf frits, but I found about a first instar cat in the mouth of an assassin bug, so I started bringing them in again. I haven't counted them, but their numbers would have to be huge - my P. incarnata is huge and spreading everywhere!
Two of my red-spotted purples have pupated, two more are pretty big, and the others are still very small. One very small cat has even made itself a half-baked hibernaculum - it puts its head in, but its rear is showing! I can't ever recall RSPs growing at such varying rates.
I made this picture several days ago of the giant swallowtails eating rue. Now, two have purged, one of these is in the "C", and the other one is wandering around the cage looking for a place to pupate. One of the GSTs eating wafer ash has purged, soon to pupate.
I'll be happy to send you some Zowie Yellow Flame seeds in the near future.
Sherryjaviwa
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoThose are beautiful Giants, Sherry!
anna: Our neighbor's P. incense crept under the fence and it has found a home in our yard. I was excited that I had a host plant for the GFs, but they're completely ignoring it, preferring to lay eggs on the P. caerulea. I've been putting a bunch into a small, netted enclosure -- saving them from the lizards and wasps on the prowl. I've been placing P. incense cuttings into the enclosure, and the cats gobble them up. Had really hoped the frits would help prune down my P. incense, though.
ETA: My current frit station:
four (9B near 9A)
4 years ago
Jay 6a Chicago
4 years agoI grew some zowie flame Zinnias this year, and also a bunch of other Zinnia 'cultivars'. Now there are so many different Zinnias I don't know which are the flames. I didn't have any Zinnias last year and I missed all the butterflies they drew, so had to have lots this year. They are a lady favorite. I have a few new native pasture thistle plants for the ladies too.
All sorts of stuff. Zinnias, Cosmos, Gomphrenas, Verbenas, prairie dropped, ect.
I have a bunch if new native milkweeds. Different species native to Illinois. There are about 20 Asclepias species native to Illinois. I lost a lot of seedlings because of the crazy weather, and a few were just recently eaten down to sticks, but I'm hoping most will recover come spring.
The ladies are back!
I planted 2 rue plants last year for the black swallowtails. Still no black swallowtail cats, but I was amazed to find giant cats on my rue, all the way up here in Illinois. I'm trying to get wafer and prickly ash trees going for the giants and tigers. This giant cat was so long, that at 1st, I thought it was 2 cats back to back.
There are lots of Monarch cats here again like last year. I made sure to have enough food this time. This is a crysalis on Amorpha fruticosa, false indigo. I thought how amazing the way its shape and color blend in with the plant.
I was lucky to catch this.
These swan milkweeds can feed a lot of cats. The orange oleander aphids were starting to get bad when the lady beetles moved in and cleaned them all up. The aphids always attack the A. incarnata the worst.
This is a new vine. Cynanchum laeve, honeyvine. It will be able to feed an army of Monarch cats!
A beautiful sulphur on Liatris aspera.
A Monarch on Coreopsis tripteris.
I grew 2 kinds of Tweedia this year. The blue and the pink. I had heard that Monarchs won't lay eggs on the blue Tweedia,(Oxypetalum), but they did lay eggs on the pink flowered species and the cats ate it, and were healthy. The pink one is now called Oxypetalum solanoides. I grow these tropical milkweeds in pots.
MissSherry
4 years agoJay 6a Chicago
4 years ago
harold100
4 years agoHello Miss Sherry. We have never spoken but I read your post all the time. They are very informative. My friend's wife has many butterflies visiting her yard now and we would like to know if you could identify these butterflies for us?. We are located on the southern border of Virginia. Thank you in advance.
Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
4 years ago
Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)