Recommended Vines for Butterflies?

Hi, everybody!

I am trying to 'upgrade' my garden with better vines for butterflies (and hummers).

Can anyone recommend to me viney plants that butterflies love?

I have seed or starts for hummer loving vines-
cypress, cardinal climber and coral honeysuckle.

I understand certain Pipevines are good. But can we grow them from seed?

So what is particularly good for Butterflies?

Thankyou. t.

Two that I can think of. The trumpet creeper (invasive, but probably the orange and red are one of the hummers very most favorites) and then the Cypress Vine, at least in red, the hummers love it too. I grew that here and the hummingbirds feasted on it. Oh, I forgot one more, if you love the hummingbird moths you must grow some Moonvine. At sundown those beautiful moths are all over those flowers - I saw sometimes 6 or 8 maybe more at one time and what a beautiful sight they are.

By all means get a mexican flame vine - they adore it!

I have seeds for the moonvine and red cypress vine and a few of the hyacinth bean vine, the last of which I'm growing for the first time this year, so can't say what they attract. They are to be purple and I'll bet butterflies would be attracted by the color. If you'd like any of those, let me know, as I have lots to share.

Passionvines for growing new butterflies!

Mexican Flame vine is a favorite of Hummers, Gulf Frtits and Monarchs. It does not climb but has to be woven through fence as it grow. One of my favorite plants.

Red Cypress Vine for hummers and Sulphers

Passiflorias nectar and host plant for Gulf Frit cats. Not all Passi varieties are host plants. Favs are Incarnata and Incense. Passi Morifolia fruits for birds

Tweedia Caerulea(spelling) Monarch host plant

Vining Milkweed Monarch host plant

Clitoria ternatea, Centrosema virginiana, and Vigna lutea skipper host plant

Aristolochia(Pipevine) host plant for Pipevine Swallowtail

This message was edited Feb 5, 2006 8:39 PM

Hi Donna, do you have the botanical name for the vining milkweed? thanks

Thankyou for your suggestions. Many of these are new to me but
I am busy setting up another grow light in my basement to start some of these lovelies!

Thank you for your kind offer 1gardengram, but I have already started a Cypress Vine, a Cardinal Climber and the Hyacinth Bean Vine.

We will have to compare results this summer after the birds arrive! Lots of pictures, I hope.

I have been trying to find a grow light and none of the stores have them. Lowe's said they will have them in late Spring. Won't need it then. Would it work to put one of the spiral florescent bulbs into my lamp socket???

I have grown cypress vine and yes the hummers love it. It becomes very invasive after the second year. It comes up in places you wouldn;t think of, like the crack between the stepping stones. Last year, I pulled them up like and invasive weed, all that I saw. Bet I will have many more this year. I would like to have just one vine, but not have to keep pulling them up.

purplepetunia-- I just use the $12.00 48" shop lights from HD or Lowes with regular flourescent tube lights. I hang them on a chain from the ceiling about 3 o 4 inches from my plants. (Some say 2 inches but my chains aren't long enough.)

I have heard that about the cypress vine so I am planning on putting it in a bare spot in the back of the property. I hope that will keep it under control.

Here's a pic of my light set-up so far. Right now I have mostly amaryllis and a few new seeds under lights. Will add more lights this week for the vines.

Good luck. t.

Never had problem with cypress vine. Mow it after it comes up good and it's gone.

George I don't know name. I was given to me as vining milkweed. never got to see it grow up. It was just coming up when Katrina hit. Hoping the seeds are still good. Funny what a person bring with them when they evacuate lol.

This message was edited Feb 5, 2006 8:41 PM

Donna, is the vining milkweed the thing that climbs about 20ft up in trees and has milkweed looking pods? I have some weird vines in my mesquite tree, the leaves have been stripped, but there are these fat milkweed pods hanging up there! I tried to climb up and get one but they are up too high(not as young as I once was, lol)

lol Susie. I don't know. Mine had only came up a few inches when Katrina hit. Would love some pods if you can get them. You'll have to sweet talk the power guy or fireman if he comes by with a boom truck lol

Wal Mart has grow lights here by all the bulbs. 24" for 10 dollars

Depends on what you want the vines for...nectaring or as larval hosts?

Honeysuckles, trumpet vines, orchid vines, sweet peas, wisteria, coral vine, bleeding heart vine, Mexican Flame vine and cypress vine are excellent for nectar sources.

Butterflies of the danaus family (Monarchs, Queens and Soldiers) use milkweed plants as well vining milkweeds. I have seen Green Milkweed Vine (matelea reticulata) and Sandvine (cynachum laeve) also called "Honey Vine" growing wild at some of the wildlife refuge parks.

I started to use Snapdragon Vine (maurandya antirrhiniflora) as a larval host for the Common Buckeye (junonia coenia) in my own yard last year. That vine is a dainty looking thing with very pretty purple blooms. It just started blooming recently so hopefully the Buckeyes will find their way to my yard and use it to lay their eggs on.

Many of our butterfly parks grow Common Balloon Vine (cardiospermum halicacabum) specifically to attract the Silver-Banded Hairstreak (chlorostrymon simaethis) - a gorgeous little lime green butterfly with silver post median band, Red-Lined Scrub Hairstreak (strymon bebrycia). Miami Blue (cyclargus thomasi) also uses that as a larval host.

Several varieties of Peavine (lathyrus) are larval hosts for Skippers, Eastern Tailed-Blue (cupido comyntas) and Orange Sulphurs (colias eurytheme).

Some Swallowtails like the Pipevine and Polydamas use Virginia Dutchman's Pipe (aristolochia serpentaria), Calico Flower Vine (aristolochia ) and White-Veined Dutchman's Pipe (aristolochia fimbriata).

Fritillaries (Gulf, Mexican and Variegated and others) and Longwings (Julia heliconia and Zebra heliconia) use a variety of passion flower vines: Maypop (passiflora incarnata), Yellow PV (p. lutea), Blue PV (p. caerulea), some Purple PV (p. incarnata x "incense"), Red PV (p. foetida), Cork Screw PV (p. suberosa) and a few others.

Statire Sulphur (phoebis statira) uses Coinvine (dalbergia) - which is somewhat like a vining shrub.

Honeysuckle vines like the Desert Honeysuckle and Mexican Honeysuckle are larval hosts for some Checkerspot butterflies.

I have numerous vines around my yard which I planted for the blooms - and they've turned out to be good roosting vines. Thunbergia (black-eyed susan vine) which the butterflies like to sleep in. I've also seen several yellow butterflies (sulphurs) perched on my yellow morning glory vines during the daytime - they blend is so well that I am assuming they rest there knowing they are quite camouflaged amongst the yellow blooms.

Have seen several Skippers frequenting the Hyacinth Vines and the Giant Snail Vine (phaseolus gigantus) I have growing in my yard. I've also seen caterpillars munching on the Giant Snail Vine leaves but am not sure whether they are butterfly or moth caterpillars.

Hope that helps :o)

~ Cat

This message was edited Feb 5, 2006 11:01 PM

I've never had trouble with the cypress vine coming up too much. I have them in the same place all the time and maybe the seeds don't get scattered too much. I mulch heavily too, so maybe they just don't sprout.

I have cypress vine coming up everywhere, I think every seed germinated. It is easy to pull up so its not a real problem, and the little hummers do love it.

Yes, they do. I think they just see it passing by and stop for a taste and then stay. Watching them is one of my favorite things to do. And it doesn't cost me a thing except some water.

TexasPP-- thankyou for that excellent rundown on vines for larval hosts, especially. I don't think I have seen such a concise summary of the topic! You should print it out and write a book about butterfly habits!

In anycase, I will print it out and see if I can attract those butterflies, even way up here in Ohio. I can try anyway! :-) t.

I've had Io moth caterpillars eating my clitoria vines. I have to watch when harvesting seeds, those cats hurt when you touch them by accident.

I trimmed my Passiflora yesterday and I'm now having second thoughts after reading this thread. What do butterfly eggs look like? I saw some bumpy things stuck under at least one leaf? Do I need to get the trimmings out of the trash?

KatyMac,

All I've gotten on my Passifloras are Gulf Fritillaries. I saw a lone Julia Heliconia last year but never found any eggs or cats. Here's a link to one of the butterfly life cycles I've posted.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/444667/thread/1128908252/last-1129259513/Gulf+Fritillary+photos

Tabasco,

Am trying to re-vamp my yard into a more butterfly friendly area. Hummingbird always abound...so putting out feeders for them is easy...but getting the right plants to attract the butterflies I want is a bit of work.

I rely on my Kaufman Focus Guide - Butterflies of North America (it lists the larval plants) as well as internet research, lots of butterfly books and prowling around the local butterfly parks to see what they have growing.

Mike Quinn, an entomologist in Austin put out a list of butterfly and caterpillar hosts - it is a PDF file listed under the South Texas NABA (North American Butterfly Association) website - extremely helpful for our area. Am thinking the NABA sites in other states might have helpful listings as well.

~ Cat

This message was edited Feb 7, 2006 9:52 PM

TPP - What a wonderful series of butterfly photos! You are a butterfly enthusiast and an exceptional photographer! Thanks for sharing your thread!

And, yes, I like the NABA sites and Ohio has some nice BF sites--

this one is well organized

http://www.ohiolepidopterists.org/bflymonitoring/species/photos.htm

and of course the State's write-up.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/0012.html

here's link to my Monarchs that hatched and were released Christmas day from my Floridaroom
http://community.webshots.com/album/527065397iYHGgi

Thanks Tabasco...please feel free to check out the other postings on that site too.

Donna...those are fantastic photos! Truly outstanding! You should post them on that website or here on Dave's Garden Butterfly Forum for others to see...and learn.

~ Cat

Oh Donna, those photos fair took my breath away! Magnificent!

lol I don't get along with Magpye so I stay away from the wildlife, butterfly, and hummer forums. Killing birds you don't want at your feeder is a big no no with me as well as being against the law. There was a big free for all over it with several big smarta** other people joining in. Dave had to intervein. She and the other so called ignorant wildlife lovers aren't worth making my BP go through the roof. I get 5000 hits a week on my webshots albums and have for the last 2 1/2 years so plenty of people are seeing them. It is also listed on my DG home page and my personal e-mail signature. I think I did post it for Floridan and Koncreteblond on the butterfly forum. I posted my new duck pics on the wildlife forum a few days ago addressed to Floridian and she is about the only one who responded lol. I take having a wildlife habitat very seriously

My new Mandarin Ducks
http://davesgarden.com/place/t/574274/

This message was edited Feb 7, 2006 10:23 PM

Donna, I have my new home certified as a wildlife habitat but it's a work in progress as I've just lived here a year. I have the pond, a snake hibernatorium (sp?), brush pile, bat condo, a naturalized area "back behind" and still studying and learning. I've from the Lake Tahoe area so a real newbie in this climate, but I'm committed. I had hummingbirds last year but hardly any butterflies. I do hope to have dragonflies hatch this year, I've really babied that little pond. LOL

congrats Katy. I am proud of you. I am the same as you thanks to Hurricane Katrina. We lost everything and are living in a new place in the country. Can't believe the people lived here for 16 years and only planted Azaelas, hydrangas, camellias and a few spring bulbs. So I am starting from scratch too. 12 years of building my habitat gone in 12 hours. Really makes me sick. I was having about 90 species of birds come through each spring. I was 1/2 mile from the ocean and partially on the migratory path. I think I am still on the path where we moved. We are almost 18 miles straight north from my old home

Wow Donna, I just saw the slideshow of your Katrina damage. I can't conceive having to deal with something like that. The "before" photo at the end was the real heartbreaker!

it was really hard. I loved my place

Donna-- just looked at your beautiful Monarch picture story. It took my breath away, too. I will definitely go back and look at your other photos, too. Thank you for posting on this thread.

I wasn't aware until recently that you suffered such a loss from K. If there is anything I can do to help you rebuild your garden, please let me know. I hope to have many interesting butterfly plants to share in spring.

I am off to a great start thanks to so many of the DG members, a close friends, and a few great bargains off e-Bay. Now if spring would come on I am running out of room in the little Florida room with all the seed cups and been moving some of my hurricane survivors out to the garage. All the seeds I have started have really taken off. In fact the seeds from the Scarlet MG had to be potted in big cups 4 days after sowing them lol. I still have 1 month before risking putting anything out side to stay. Those babies will probably be growing up the walls. I think I sent you some Tabasco. If I didn't let me know and I will. Delisa said they were a big favorite of the hummers and I find that the sulphers are real partial to red flowers

Donna, those pictures are awsome. I envy all of your monarchs. Seems as if they haven't found my butterfly garden. Thanks for the photos on brug virus. I discovered that I have some cuttings that look as if they have the virus and I just threw them in the trash.
Susie, the cypress garden vine is the last thing to come up here. Seems as if June is when I started seeing them sprout up last year, then they grow rapidly. With the mild winter we have had, they may come back earlier. Then again, it is supposed to be in the 20's in a few days. Trying to keep my sprouting brugs covered.

This message was edited Feb 8, 2006 5:06 PM

PP cypress vine is slow to come up down here too. usually June like you. Yep we are gonna be 25 Sunday morning with 90% chance of rain unless they change things. Our first really hard cold this winter. Glad my pics helped you. Virus can run through all your brugs quick. make sure you soak in bleach and soapy water, then boil your pruning shears unless you have a good fungicide to soak them in.

Tabasco, the shop light sounds great. Will have to rig up a way to hang one.
Donna, thanks for the reminder on boiling the pruning shears. Don't know of a good fungicide. Any suggestions??? Sure don't want anything to spread thru my new cuttings.

Thanks,
Chris

will have to look it up for PP. I am allergic to sulfer so can't use it my self. Could probably use the Rose Pride found at Lowes but will find out the name from the brug hybridizers for you

Milkweed vine is an invasive vine here in 9B Florida.Travels to the top of trees and will completely suffocate and eventually block all the light from the tree(untill all the leaves are consumed).I have 40 to 70 foot Oaks and a few others and the Milkweed vine is in several.It's mango sized green seed pod hangs until ripened then is dropped and inside of the fruit(pod) is a perfectly wrapped seed cluster once opened will start to unwravel and fly.If your looking to grow some I'll save the next one that drops and send you some seeds.It may not be as invasive in more northerly zones.I really don't know.

I have milkweed plant, but it is not the vine. Don't want a vine that will grow to that magnitude.

I'm gonna try it on a dead tree but will pull it up if starts growing as you say