One of the many reasons why I wanted to add a full sun flower bed in the backyard was so that I could grow a passion flower. I just think that the flower is one of the most unusual and beautiful ones out there.
I have mentioned before that I have moved on past my disappointment that the flower is not purple. I have come to love all the parts of this vine, including the tendrils that are quite space age-y.
And now that the plant is fulfilling its other role as caterpillar food, I love it, no matter the color.
After a busy few weeks, I walked out the other day to finally determine why the vine's leaves had holes all over them. Perhaps most gardeners wouldn't be thrilled to find their plant riddled with holes but I was delighted to find all sizes of caterpillars munching away. Once these guys have metamorphized, they will be Gulf fritillary butterflies.
I saw a Gulf fritillary swooping through the yard today but wasn't able to get a photo of it.But it was looking for this? It's old home. I was so excited to see this evacuated chrysalis . . .
and yet so disappointed that I missed seeing it before the butterfly emerge. But now that I am stalking these caterpillars, I hope to get a photo soon.
I have passion vines but haven't enough sun to get flowers! I do/did have fritillary butterflies. I want to see the caterpillar! Next year!
ReplyDeleteYour white and blue passionvine is quite beautiful, Vertie - congratulations on the empty chrysalis!
ReplyDeleteAlthough my passionflower is purple, in September 2007 I complained because it wasn't the fragrant purple variety promised on the label, but a non-scented kind. It's had fewer flowers this year and there were caterpillars earlier but none now.
Like Gail I'll wish for Next Year!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I love your passionflower vine. I prefer yours to the purple one.
ReplyDeleteI need to see if my passionflower vine made it through the summer, and then move it somewhere sunnier if it did. I'm starting to get into the whole butterfly thing these days. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, your photos for this post are fabulous!
Gorgeous passion vine flowers, even if they aren't purple! I'm eager to see some butterfly photos. I was out with my camera for a while on Wednesday, attempting to capture various winged beauties as they nectared. They weren't all that cooperative!
ReplyDeleteYou don't like the green flowers? I think I like them better than the purple. The green makes them even more spacy.
ReplyDelete