I noticed this lizard that appeared to be drinking something from the blooms on my passi...do the blooms secrete something? I haven't had a bloom open yet, should be any day now from the looks of it. The plant is a year old and has about 25 buds on it. Can't wait for them to open.
Russell
Russell,
Passies have glands that secret nectar--I think they are called petiole glands. I've had lizards (green anoles) licking them too. They also attract wasps and ants.
Mark
One day early last August, we found dozens of buds had one ant on each bud's several (5?) petiole glands. Ant nirvana.
Sorry the pic's a bit blurry.
I have seen hummingbirds feeding from the incarnata blooming now--none of my other vines have flowers yet. Some leaves have nectar ports, too.
Our P. vitifolia just finished up with a nice flush...might be the last till fall for her here as it tends to shut down a bit when it get's hot. The incarnata and incense are going to town. My big Lady Margaret didn't come back up in her original spot...she might still be there and now that we are getting rain she may show up. Luckily I have a backup just in case. In any case.....the hummers's seem to love them all, as do the ants, wasps and butterflies. Tho the butterflies tend not to chew on some of the smaller passi's like Anastasia, Jennifer Grace as a few others.
Here in 8b we are in an extreme droubt. The incense that was coming up everywhere has disappeared. L.Margaret has not showed. Caerulea was up very early and gets watered. Lavendar Lady and mooreana are up and get watered. The only passie blooming is incarnata.
The grass is brown where we don't water. We mow about 2 1/2 acres and can't water it all. Louisiana's weather has changed dramatically over my 63 yrs. We used to have daily rain all summer causing lush growth. Our global climate change has is hitting us hard.
flicker, I'm with ya on the raining issues...and we have alot of fires here also.
I have 11 acres and about 4 is "yard"...with lots of brown grass cause we don't water anything but the flower beds.
