Thanks for the info, Ron! I never noticed that about the gold behind the head of the Polydamas. I think you may be right. I don't get to see Pipevine caterpillars too often so I haven't studied them as thoroughly. Last night, I couldn't sleep and was bored so I downloaded all the pictures from my external drive that were on my old computer and put them on my new computer. I was looking at photos going back to 2006 and there were lots of really awful butterfly photos (that was two cameras ago) but I'll look through them some more and see if I can find more caterpillar shots.

As for the Tropical Milkweed...well, part of it is that I've been doing the native plant talk and I feel like I have to walk the walk. Another part of it is that studies have come out showing that in areas such as ours, where the Monarchs don't migrate, they continue laying eggs on the Tropical Milkweed all through the winter. Native milkweeds tend to die back. Well, because they keep breeding through the winter, they continue to spread a spore that infects them that we call OE for short. More info here: http://www.monarchwatch.org/bi... Basically, in places where the milkweed dies back, the Monarchs stop breeding and the spore kind of dies down for the winter. But if you have a continuous breeding population, the spore never takes a "break". Studies found that the caterpillars and butterflies in areas where the Monarchs were breeding all winter on the Tropical Milkweed had a much higher incidence of infection. Now, at first everybody panicked and all the papers were running headlines like, "Could you be killing Monarchs by trying to help them?" I decided to go all native (sort of, I still have some Giant Milkweed) and ripped out my Tropical Milkweed. For those who want to keep the Tropical Milkweed either because they like it or can't find any other species, you can just cut it back in the winter. You may have to keep cutting it back because it sprouts like crazy. And honestly, cutting it back is good anyway because it will encourage a bushier plant just like most plants. So cut it back during the winter to keep the Monarchs from breeding and to make your plant bushier. Or just go native. FYI, I've been cold-stratifying Whorled Milkweed and Spider Milkweed. I also have some Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) seeds. They're actually pretty easy to find; I saw them at Home Depot a week ago.

Interesting link, Melanie regarding the protozoan parasite of Monarchs. I see mostly Queens around here, but imagine the parasite would infect them too. I'm not growing the Tropical Milkweed on purpose. It just appeared one day, and I tend to just leave it alone wherever it pops up if it's not interfering. However, I have been planning on setting up a small plot of them specifically for the benefit of my almost-four-year-old granddaughter. She loves butterflies, of course (don't all kids?), so I wanted to be able to show her the caterpillar, chrysalis, then butterfly transition.

Hey, maybe with growing some pipevines, I'll be able to show her the ugly-duckling transformation of Pipevine or Gold Rim butterflies! Hadn't thought of that until just now. I did a bit more checking on that gold "necklace" on the Gold Rim caterpillar, and apparently that is a diagnostic feature. Remembering which has two sets of antennae/filaments and which has three sets on the Queen vs Monarch caterpillars is difficult, but a "gold rim" on a Gold Rim caterpillar should be easy even for me to remember!

Anyway, I'll keep the "trimming the Tropical Milkweed" notion in mind for the future.

Sounds like a plan, Ron! I have so much fun with the kids (and adults) at MOSI showing them my "ugly" caterpillars and then pointing out the butterfly in the flight cage. I like to use the Giant Swallowtail because we usually have them throughout Swallowtail season and they're pretty much universally loved by the guests. The caterpillars are one of those who mimic bird poop and they stay that way even as they molt and grow. So it's fun to tell them this thing that looks like bird poop is going to turn into that beautiful butterfly they were just admiring. I hope it makes them stop and think. Even if I get through to one person, right?

Mellie, it is sort of the same with the vast majority of orchids. The plants are, well, pretty ugly until they bloom. The flowers make up for the lack of plant beauty. Of course I love a lot of my orchid plants, especially those with nice roots, whether in bloom or not. I am a little weird though. :sigh:

I have my eyes out for butterflies and moths now. It is still quite chilly here so nothing but birds are flying.

Some goodies in my garden today - the Nun's orchids are getting ready to pop! Philo Pastazanum has flowers, too. I grow it for the magnificent leaves, but . . . the flowers are going to be nice, I think they will be white whenever they decide to open.


My other purple cauliflower plant finally made a nice huge head, and I almost missed it because the leaves are so huge.

First bloom on the Louisiana Iris 'Black Gamecock'. They are actually a much darker purple than the picture shows.


The only one of several Cymbidium orchids that has deigned to bloom this year. I shall hold out hope! Oh, and maybe feed and water them a lot more this summer . . . as I learned from a grower at the orchid show.


I truly did a lot of 'flitting' about after butterflies c/w camera this afternoon but didn't get a single decent shot . . .

Well, I finally got all my plants in the butterfly garden. Except for the ones I ordered the other day, but I left room for them so we're cool. I had my first hummingbird sighting on my Purple Firespike. I bought it for the butterflies, but if the hummers like it, too, that's cool.

I found a good way to keep Mom away from my bromeliads (although the spines usually do the trick). Mom is horribly terrified of snakes. I'm going to post this on Facebook to scare her. Dad said this was a juvenile black snake. I told it to go eat some of those invasive Cuban Tree Frogs. They're starting to make a comeback which means the war is still on!



Also, does anyone grow Florida Anise? I have the red-flowering kind except it has never flowered. Am I doing something wrong? The thing is huge (see picture) and I've had it for years but it has never flowered. I know this is a bit south of its normal zone but it seems happy enough. Any ideas?

Mellie, can't help you with the Florida Anise. Are you sure your reptile is a baby black snake ? Judging by the stripes down it's sides it looks like a 5 Lined Skink.

We've taken 2 pickup truck loads of trimmings out to the burn pile. Probably one more to go.

That's what our 5-lined skink looks like here too, but I could not identify a juvenile black snake if my life depended on it.

Looks like the 5 lined skink to me too Melanie. As to the anise all I could find on it says the flowers are often hidden in the foliage & get overlooked as they are small. I was trying to find out if it self pollinates or needs a pollinator but found nothing stating ti needs a pollinator.

Well, Mom would feel better if it was a skink. Can't say I've seen a five-lined skink before. We get those blue ones all the time. They like to live in the garage.

I was trying to see if those Anise were male and female and maybe I needed more than one or something. But I can't find anything that says that. Maybe I've been missing the flowers but they are red and I hear they have a particular odor so I figured someone would have noticed them in all these years. I feel like yelling at it, "What do you want from me?"

Are you pruning it? Perhaps at the incorrect time?

Oh, I meant to tell you that the firespike is a total hummer magnet. Yes, the butterflies love it too but the hummers go ga-ga over it. When I had it down south the hummers would pass up every thing else in favor of the firespike & I mean EVERYTHING. It's like hummer heroin.

The young black snakes are more mottled and brown than that, I'd agree it's probably a skink, or maybe a glass snake. Harmless, in any case but we won't tell Mom.

Begonia Odorata 'Alba' perfuming the whole place this morning.

Dad prunes the Anise every now and then at the bottom so he can get the mower through there, but that's it.

I saw the Purple Firespike at USF Botanical Gardens and the butterflies were all over it. When I found out it was native, I knew I had to have one. I may have to set my lawn chair over there and just lay in wait with my camera.

Too late, I told Mom! I thought she'd be happy it wasn't a snake but she says skinks get in the house and are hard to catch. I said at least skinks can't kill you! Besides, you can throw a towel over them and scoop them up pretty easy.

Anyone else getting that 30% chance of rain? Because it is currently at my house. Which is fine because I just put in a bunch of new plants! Granted, I watered them with the hose, but nothing beats Mother Nature.

We have 40% the rest of the night & 80% tomorrow. I would love for it to wash down some of this pollen that is coating everything in sight.

Lookee what I saw out my kitchen window this afternoon!

Momma would not like that!

But I do! I just hope my dog doesn't get wind of it. She kills snakes. Unfortunately she doesn't know the good ones from the bad ones.

(Dawg, I'm not Melanie)

Ok, I have to correct myself. Purple Firespike is native to Mexico and Central America. But I'm borrowing it, darnit! I try to plant mostly native, but if there's something I think will add value and it isn't invasive, I'm flexible. Some people take native a little extreme, but if you can do it, more power to you.

Mom has an unreasonable fear of snakes. I mean, I have a healthy fear, but she is terrified. Naturally, many years ago when I was actually not living in the house, Mom walked out of the door from the house to the garage and stepped on a black snake. I guess her screams brought everyone running. And no, it didn't bite her. I figured her heart must be in good shape because if she was going to have a heart attack, that would have done it.

I wouldn't fret over firespike not being native. It's not invasive & I never saw any cats on it so I doubt it's going to be detrimental to the butterflies.