The maypop passionvine flower is among one of the most unique flowers in my garden, and the most invasive.
This plant has taken over the garden, inside and outside, of the space. To say I have an abundance is an understatement. The gulf fritillary butterfly has a ton of host plant to lay eggs on, and the caterpillars food to eat.
I have spent the last few days in the garden cutting back some plants, pulling weeds and getting the area ready for new additions. This gulf fritillary in particular has become a “friend,” if you will. Every time I am in the garden, no matter what time of day, it flies fairly near and lands on either the ground, or one of the stepping stones close by. I know it is the same one because of its hurt wing.
The gulf fritillaries are among my favorite, just for their unique wings. The population of these butterflies is going to explode in the garden soon as there are tons of eggs on both of its host plants, the corkystem passionvine and maypop passionvine, as well as caterpillars newly hatched to ones that are almost ready for its chrysalis. Of course, my daughter collected many caterpillars, along with the host plant and put them in the butterfly house.
The gulf fritillary caterpillar will spend up to 16 days eating its host plant (corkystem passionvine), molting, shedding its skin, as it grows larger and larger.
The caterpillars also take in toxins from the passionflower, which are stored and kept in their bodies through turning into a butterfly, according to the Alabama Wildlife Federation.
I am beginning to see a lot more gulf fritillary butterflies flutter about the gardens. I was excited to see a rather large caterpillar resting in the garden near its host plant.
The gulf fritillary, such a stunning butterfly! At any given time we have at least six fluttering about the garden.
These two recently emerged in our butterfly house the last few days. The first photo rested on our butterfly bench for a while. The contrast of the gulf fritillary and the bench, to me, is stunning.
I have found that the zinnia flower is another favorite of the gulf fritillary. They always feed off the red penta and blue porterweed, so I was excited to see I found another nectar plant they enjoy. I just planted more than a dozen zinnia seeds with the seeds already sprouting in the garden.
I love that I have extended my passion for butterflies and their lifecycle with others!
When you walk to my front door you often times have to watch your step up the path, as caterpillars are on the move, sometimes crossing that path to find a place to make their chrysalis on my home. Sometimes they create a chrysalis around the window giving us perfect view of when they emerge.
My good friend found a gulf fritillary caterpillar crawling up the ledge near my front door, and she like my daughter and I, had to save and put into our butterfly house where it instantly made its chrysalis. Yesterday the beauty emerged and flew free into our garden.
This one marks 84!
