The Tigers love the Cup Plant
Tiger Swallowtail
Very nice, picabo.
fabulous shot picabo. Glad to hear they like the cup plant. I have 3 of them, one blooming now
Thanks DonnaB & imway2dumb. The cup plants are so pretty this year. Already over 10 feet high and covered with flowers. The bees and butterflies love them.
WoW what detail, just lovely!!
I need some Cup Plant, the Tiger swallowtail are my favorites since childhood and I've only seen a few in the last couple years. In fall would someone trade me a start?
It's beautiful! Very rare sightings of those at my house. What is a Cup Plant?
crimson...I haven't seen a cup plant in Garden centers, but I am sure they have it.. I have always traded. Would love to share with you. We are close to each other, let me look around the yard and see if there are any small pieces that can be moved this time of year. If not may have to wait till spring. Will have lots of seeds in a few weeks.
Konkreteblond. It is a BIG "wild looking" plant. The plant gets its name from the way the leaves join the stem. The leaves are huge and join at the stem to form a cup. This "cup" holds water and little creatures love to drink from the cups. The leaves are often varigated on mine.
The bright yellow daisey like flowers are in clusters on top of the stalks. two or three inches across.
That sounds neat! I'll have to look that up. I lost the thread that you asked me about mailing plants. I've never mailed big plants, just small ones or cuttings. I just wrapped the roots or stems in wet paper towels, then put them inside baggies. I had someone send me a bunch of butterfly bush cuttings once wrapped in newspaper and put in a bread bag. Same difference. I like the baggies because they seal well. I don't put enough water in to leak out or make the package heavy, just wet to keep them alive. So far it's worked.
kkb's method works very well. Paige the frogfruit is doing fine!
I have meant to ask you for a long time if yours survived! Mine thinks it's going to take over my yard. I have to cut it back all the time. Good thing it's easy to maintain.
We've got them in Houston. I've seen one or two a day lately usually earlier before noon. I was wondering what some of their host plants are? Anyone know?
A book I have says In the South: black cherry, tulip tree, sweet bay. In the North: aspens. There might be more things tho.
We have black Cherry, Tulip tree and sweet bay all in the yard. I haven't seen the cats on the trees but they are all 20 foot and over. I guess I wouldn't notice them, I'll look closer, we sure have lots of the Tigers in the garden.
There's been a few random butterfly fly bys the last 2 weeks, then today the dinner bell rang I guess. There were multiples of each including the black swallotail which surprised me. I only saw one Monarch today and but it didn't stick around too long. The others just kept going back and forth from the Harlequin buddleia to this one clump of phlox although I have lots of stuff blooming now and phlox all over.
Oh, and one was hanging in some echinacea
Konkrete~ Glad to hear a working method of shipping cuttings. I sent some cuttings recently and paid for the next day delivery and everyone of them expired. Needless to say, I am going to adopt your method for future shipments, if any. Even the plants inside the newspaper inside the bread bag sounds good. :-)
I forgot to say that is a beautiful Tiger on the cup plant.
8ft....Lucky you! we very seldom see the Monarch any more. I have lots of milk weed in the flowerbeds and don't let hubby cut it in the pasture. In fact several of the farms on my road leave big patches for the Monarchs. If we leave it they will come??? My phlox isn't doing well this year.
edfinney... Thanks! the Tigers are really pretty. One of the clumps of cup plants had groups of Tigers yesterday. I kept losing count at 20. I'll try to get a pic today.
Lucky you picabo, having all those host trees! I'm sure the cats are out of sight, but you have them if you've got the butterflies! I am always so excited to see one visiting. Sad that you aren't seeing much of the Monarchs tho. I don't see many until later in the year. I'm starting to see about one a week now so I'm hoping to get cats soon! My theory has always been "plant it and they will come".
Ed, the wet paper around the roots or cutting and the plastic bag sealing it has worked just fine. I've not sent anything overnight either. I finally got some of those fennel seeds! That plant started dying (I think "bolting" is what it is) and they didn't mature, but I found some just the other day that were good. I sure need more to grow since I'm seeing some BST's again.
konkrete--are you seeing alot of those orange fritilary's? That's mostly what I'm seeing--like you I'm waiting on those monarchs. Have seen about 3 hummers in the last week though.
picabo What a beautiful swallowtail on a beautiful flower. I'm seeing more and more butterflies on our flowers now and several on our butterfly bushes. I like watching them rest on the flowers. The monarchs are a thrill too especially in late summer.
I saw my first Monarch for the year. Way tattered. Has had a hard trip from somewhere.
I also saw a Pipe Vine back on the vine today, looks like she was laying eggs. The vine is already covered with cats. Won't be long.
Nice pic of the tiger swallowtail Picabo!!! I'll have to check into those cup plants too!
Mark