Every year, Hummingbird Central puts out a map where users can report their first sightings of migratory hummingbirds. Let's play a similar game. Have you seen any Gulf fritillaries (Agraulis vanillae) yet? At the arboretum, we're still waiting on them. This year, the arboretum has two species of passionflower for the caterpillars to enjoy.
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| Yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea) can be found throughout the arboretum. It isn't cultivated in any particular spot and volunteers freely. Sometimes we have to pull it off other plants, and sometimes we allow it to climb and twine. This time of year, its quirky little flowers are on display. In this photo, the passionflower vine is attached to a yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria). |
Also, this summer, we have something extra special. Maypop!
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| Last year we planted Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), specifically during the spring of 2024. In this post from the autumn of 2023, we made clear our intent to do just that. It grew for a short time, but the Gulf fritillary caterpillars soon devoured all of the leaves, so the vine was not given the opportunity to climb or flower. Surprisingly, the plant wasn't killed by this premature defoliation; it started growing again this spring. And it is thriving! There are plenty of leaves for the caterpillars this year. The vine is attempting to climb an old eastern red cedar trunk. |
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| In late July, we are seeing the peculiar "spaceship" flowers, and still no sign of the Gulf fritillary caterpillars. Perhaps these vines will even produce fruit this year. If you've never had maypop fruit, you've missed out on something special! Yum! |
