Tag Archives: Southwest Florida gardens

Wild petunia

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Every year I add a new host plant to the garden in the effort to attract more butterflies to their designated space. I was happy to see my favorite native garden center had wild petunia during my last visit. This is a host plant for the common buckeye butterfly.

The wait now begins.

But in the meantime, I am enjoying this beautiful plant grow and thrive.

This flower is part of the acanthaceae family and ruellia genus. They can grow to one to feet high and need about six to 12 inches of spacing.

The native flower has been said to bloom throughout the spring, summer and fall, adding a beautiful color of purple to my landscape. The best part is once they are established, I have read that they are pretty drought-tolerant, which is wonderful because my Southwest Florida garden is experiencing a very severe drought this year.

I have also read that they reseed enabling them to come back year after year.

I have started my garden with two and they are as happy as can be in full sun. I have read that these plants can be propagated by either stem cuttings, dividing larger clusters, and of course by seed. I may have to try cutting a healthy stem of four to six inches long and putting in water to get new roots to grow.

A mating pair

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This morning the butterfly garden was busy with lots of fluttering wings of many different species. There were two butterflies that caught my attention on top of a giant milkweed. Before I knew it they landed on my Bahama cassia plant located very close by.

It was absolutely fascinating to watch the mating process right in front of my eyes of two monarch butterflies.

I have read that mating monarchs can remain together for 16 hours or longer. It’s not until the very end of their attachment that the sperm is transferred to the female. The fertilization of the egg does not occur until right before the egg is laid on the host plant, milkweed.

During mating, the male will use its claspers located on the end of its abdomen, to attach to the female’s ostium bursa.

Be sure to check out the many videos I was able to capture.

Oh that smell

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The only plant that remained in my front yard as we began to make over the front space for my butterfly garden was the jasmine tree. This tree blooms a few times a year and when it does the aroma is intoxicating. As soon as you walk out the front door the sweet smell attacks your senses in such a beautiful way.

A wonderful perk, the butterflies seem to enjoy the jasmine nectar as well. This great southern white butterfly spent a great deal of time drinking to its hearts content. It was not bothered by me standing nearby at all.

More Eggs

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The polydamas swallowtail has been a regular visitor these past few weeks. They are swift flyers, making them hard to capture in photographs while flying. Well, today, out of 143 photographs, I was able to pick out quite a few that made me smile.

The polydamas, also known as the gold rim swallowtail, tailless swallowtail and scientific name Battus polydamas lucayus, lays its eggs on the Dutchman pipe. This is the only swallowtail that lacks the tails at the base of the secondary wings, according to the University of Florida.

This species can be found throughout peninsular Florida, as well as in the Florida Keys. There are some that wander as far north as Missouri and Kentucky.

The polydamas lays yellow to orange eggs in clusters of 10 to 14, which can typically be spotted on newly developed stems, or growing tips, of the Dutchman pipe. The butterfly tends to lay its eggs on the Dutchman pipe that are in sunny areas, although the caterpillars have a higher survival rate in the shade.

The polydamas swallowtail in the photographs below is laying eggs on one of the two birthwort plants in the garden. Right now this plant is thick with lots of growth, while my three Dutchman pipe are needing time to grow back from the last set of caterpillars.

The little . . .

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The cassius blue, lycaenidae/gossamer wings, is starting to appear constantly in the garden. I was beyond thrilled when I witnessed this little beauty laying eggs on my plumbago yesterday.

Its wingspan is only 15-22 mm. The egg is flattened and blue. The butterfly will lay the egg on flowers, flower buds or the developing seed pods of the plumbago. I have yet to find the eggs, or the caterpillars. I can only imagine the size of the caterpillar and chrysalis.