Also had a freshly emerged Gulf Fritillary nectaring on my duranta when I was out in the yard. These are usually the first ones in my yard each morning. So far my passifloras are still in one piece...but I know they will be eaten to the stem only too quickly. Ah, the things we do for butterflies :o) Who else but us grows plants just to have them eaten down? :o)
Considering we get this species by the hundreds...I am always amazed by their bright coloring and beauty.
~ Cat
...almost looks like I put a fake butterfly on the duranta. It really stands out!
~ Cat
Cat, I planted a passie this spring, haven't seen any GFs or cats yet. I'm hoping they can keep it manageable because I just don't have the room for a huge vine.
I think the GFs are so pretty.
Nice Cat!!
Your Duranta is beautiful...Mine hasn't awaken from winter, yet..
I wonder if it's ok... :-/.
MInd if I join you with my Frit action here? Been so busy shaping up the back, I haven't had time to start a thread..
Yesterday the first 2 blooms popped on the P. ceurela I babied all winter...(Maybe I should have done the Duranta the same, but it was a mess after the first couple freezes, so I cut it and covered it up.)
A few weeks ago a happy little Frit went to town ovipositing.. Now they are about ready to pupate. Many will today most likely, as the temp is about 55. Might even cause some to curl up earlier.
Deb
Can y'all see the cats in this pic?
Here's a closer up pic.. Many of them are this size already.
Know what you mean Rox, these are very hard to keep up with.
Deb
Yahhh, it's hard to keep up with the GF cats. There are usually hundreds on my vines and last year I moved a whole gob of cats to a neighbor's passie. They are about a block away and their passie hangs over the fence...so I deposited the cats there :o) Don't think they were the wiser as it was on the backside :o)
~ Cat
I just put 2 passifloras at my garden arch this past weekend and they're twining a little but that's about it. Are they likely to bloom this summer? (Novice to passifloras and GFs.) I'm glad to see the picture so I'll know what the cats are, but I don't want them to destroy the entire plant. If I can't find another passiflora nearby to adopt them out, is there anything else they like to eat?
brigidlily,
They grow very fast and if they are at least a quart size, they will definatly bloom. Just keeping them from getting eggs until they get a few feet of fairly thick growth is the challenge. I suppose putting some light netting over them could help if that is possible for you.
Anyone else have ideas?
If you have a Walmart near you, check when you go.. I found 4 last year for $6 each.. I planted them in 1.8cf planters with tutuer trellises and used lava sand and worm castings mixed with the soil.. They grew really fast and covered the tutuers very quick,,, Then came the frits... In a month or 2 the vines were just twigs, so I covered them until they had enough growth again, (about a month and a half)..They were ready for the last of the fall crowd of frits once again.
When they stopped coming I untwined each vine from the tutuers and transplanted them into a deep raised bed, and kept them from freezing all winter.. Even though it seems full now, I still have to watch it very closely. Got 2 more kinds this year too, but they are small now and staying close to or inside the GH for now.
One more thing : When a lot of new growth starts coming on them take cuttings 3 sections down from the tip, (right below the 3rd), and root them in a well lit place, not direct sun. This will give you more plants, and also encourage more bushy growth on the main vines. So take cuttings whenever you can until the vines are really thick, and you are sure you have enough.
Deb
Edited to answer the question, sorry.... Passionvine is the only host plant used by Gulf Fritillary larvae.. Along with a few other butterflies: (Diana, and Zebra Longwing for 2). So far I have only had frits on mine here.
This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 1:26 PM
LOL! I, too, had a GF emerge today. They are soooo pretty! I just have NOT seen any cats on my PV or around my yard. I wish I did so that I wouldn't have to whack the PV back. :-/ This newly emerged butterfly came from my school and they ate PV from my yard. I can't figure out why I am just not seeing hardly any cats right now on my vines.
Wow these are great pictures!!
