LOL! I was trying to find the thread about the Cassia plant and the Sulphur butterflies. Couldn't find the post about the cats. I bought a very young Cassia (not sure which variety) about a month ago when I was out shopping for a few more host plants. (This is NOT the small Cassia tree that showed up in another pot.) I potted this little plant and it has just been sitting there .... basically doing nothing. This week I noticed it blooming. Well, today I saw a large yellow/orange Sulphur on it. It was laying eggs on theplant. So ..... I saw the post where someone was wondering about that. So I want to let whoever posted the question know that in my yard it does appear that the Sulphur may have waited until the Cassia bloomed to lay eggs. And I have noticed tiny holes in some of the leaves near the flowers, but no cats. Wasps probably got them. :-(
Here's what the blooms look like.
This message was edited Nov 10, 2006 5:03 PM
So many threads I can't keep track.....
Here's the photo.
I got more curious and went out and looked at the plant. The eggs are on the edge of the leaves. Hopefully you can see the 2 white eggs on the edges of the leaves.
This message was edited Nov 10, 2006 5:04 PM
I also noticed holes in several of the buds on this little plant. Do you suppose it was cats that did that? I did see some minor chew holes on some of the leaves. But again, no cats anywhere. Unless they are inside the flowerbud?
Yes Becky, it was me who said that. But not laying eggs, that they did before the flowers appeared, but none of the eggs became a cat - or else the ants and other thingys ate them first. Once the flowers bloomed though, the cats appeared. Possibly some of them were eaten too. I counted 10-12 one day, and they were not all there the day after that. I wanted to take them indoors but didn't have any cassia in a pot. I am waiting for the seed pods to hopefully appear so I can start one in a pot. Fortunately, one cat decided to pupate right on the cassia branch and I cut the branch off and brought it onto the lanai.
Yay for you! ...I think? lol I guess we'll know in a few days. But the good news is that they've found your plant and will probably come back.
So you don't know what kind of Cassia this is? I need to go look at my C. alata's and see if they've had any visitors. They are really small tho so I doubt they'll get to bloom this year. I'm going to have to start some from seed next year instead of waiting for the seed to come up.
Paige - My Cassia is very small. Maybe 12 inches high at the most. It's just a baby sapling. I'm actually afraid if the eggs/cats make it and start eating my plant that they could kill it because it's not in the ground yet. It's not big enough to sustain but a couple cats. So I will be watching it closely. Chances are the wasps will find the cats and none will make it anyway. There is so much insect activity in my garden, but very few cats ever make it to the butterfly stage in the wild in my yard. :-(
Here is the thread if you still want it. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/665721/
Sheila - LOL! Thanks!
I have too many predators too. It's a wonder that any cats make it all the way to a butterfly if they live outside in my yard. If I don't find the eggs as soon as they lay them, then next time I see any signs of a cat is a flat black streak on a leaf. :(
I was just thinking that I have been overwhelmed with spiders and assassin bugs this year and wondered what I could do to reduce their numbers. I need birds! I stopped feeding the birds because I had too many field mice last year that were coming to the fallen seed. The only birds I ever had were Sparrows and I do still see them but not in my garden like they were.
I used to have doves but they stopped coming because the hawks were getting some and scaring the others. I did have red Finches this year but they don't go in the garden.
I'm going to have to figure out a way to bring my birds back.