Hello everyone,
I am trying to find a fast growing host plant for Giant Swallowtails. I have several small citrus plants, but they tend to grow slowly, and get decimated after the first round of cats. They are also susceptible to leaf miners. I have also tried to start various citrus plants from seed, but the seedlings seem to languish when put outdoors. I am currently trying to germinate some rue--has anyone had experience with this? If so, how fast does it grow?
Has anyone tried wild lime--Butterfly World sells the seeds for this one.
Thanks!
Mark
Host plants for Giant Swallowtails
By wild lime do you mean Zanthoxylum fagara aka Colima?
For us that is a slow grower...then again, it is a native plant and grows wild out at the ranch. We're always under drought conditions...so perhaps that could be a big mitigating factor in slow growth.
I have not tried to grow it from seed but perhaps I'll check for seeds on them next time I'm puttering around the back pastures.
The same goes for Rue. It is mainly used by Black Swallowtails here but I've had a couple of GSTs on it before. Guess it just depends on what's available when they are looking for a place to lay eggs. I happen to have several mature citrus trees in my yard so that keeps the GSTs happy.
Rue is a very popular herb out here and most all the local flea markets and nurseries sell small pots of it for a reasonable price. Several vendors have told me they start it from cuttings and not seed as the cuttings grow much faster.
~ Cat
They can also use Hop Tree, Ptelea trifoliata and Hercules Club, Zanthoxylum clavahercules.
Cat,
I'm not sure of the genus/species of the wild lime--I don't know if there is more than one. But the one that Butterfly World sells looks like a shrub. Of the various citrus plants I have tried to grow from seed, the key lime seems to have done the best. I don't know if the heat and humidity stunt the seedlings or what, but I have always had trouble once I move them outdoors.
Thanks for the tip Linda--Shady Oak sells the Hop Tree, so I may get one from them. They also sell eggs and cats--I may get some of the Zebra Longwing eggs. Do you still have seeds for the Hop Tree?
Thanks!
Mark
The prickly lime ash aka wild lime aka Zanthoxylum fagara aka Colima has some vicious thorns. Would highly suggest something in the citrus family that doesn't have thorns :o)
...but it is also the larval host to the Ornythion Swallowtail and Sicklewing Skipper as well as the Forbes' Silkmoth aka Forbes' Rothschild moth - which is a truly gorgeous moth.
I love Shady Oaks!!! I have a list of larval hosts I want to buy but it will have to wait until closer to the fall season.
~ Cat
Mark, I didn't notice about the hop tree seeds! Yes, I do have seeds from last year. Of course, it takes a lot of patience to grow them as they don't grow fast. If you'd like some, I could send you some.