ANYONE INTERESTED IN ANOTHER CENTRAL FL. RU?

I plan on attending. Relatively new on the forum. I should have Passiflora Betty Myles Young and Passiflora Vitifolia rooted cuttings as well as a few Musical Notes Clerodendrum and perhaps some Hibiscus to trade. I'll probably have other butterfly attractors as well. I'll be coming from Tarpon Springs. I may have some Passiflora seedlings like Passiflora Edulis Flavicarpa too.

Darren

I collect Passiflora and Hibiscus but have a hard time passing up any pretty bloom offered. Working on a Butterfly/Hummingbird garden.

Darren you might be interested in this links http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/aboutus.php and
http://www.butterfliesetc.com/. Edith is posting a lot of butterfly information on FB.
I have bought plants and butterflies form them. Great people.
If I get my act together I might have some butterfly plants.

Sandy.

Darren,
I have just what you need for butterfly garden. Fire spike and it blooms red continuously. If I don't get it potted up for you remind me when you get here and you can dig some up. I have very large plants and you are welcomed to some. I have a few plants for the butterflys but should add to it as I get lots of them ea. year. Not many monarchs last summer but loads of long winged zebras which is Fl. state butterfly.
Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie, sounds great! I started my BF/HB garden last spring but really didn't have most plants until late summer so this will be my first full season!

Look forward to meeting everyone.

Darren

I counted 8 species in 20 minutes last summer in my garden and that is not all of the butterflies that come to it.

I will start the Frog Fruit and see what else I can get started.

That is nice wren! Do you get any hummers? The most butterfly species I've had so far at one time I think was 4 and that was recently despite the cold. I've never heard of frog fruit, is that a small ground cover type of plant or larger?

Darren

I had hummers and also a lot of native bees.
It depends if you mow it or not. In a lawn it hugs the ground. In my flower bed it is a few inches tall. 3 different butterflies us it as a host plant. I released 40 Buckeye butterflies last summer so I hope I will have some of them show back up this year. I already have the Phaon Crescent Butterfly and I hope to buy and release some White Peacock Butterfly if she has them this year.
http://www.butterfliesetc.com/frog-fruit-regular-butterfly-host-plant.html

The forth picture is the Red Admiral it is another butterfly that uses a weed as a hot plant and I sighted my first female laying eggs last month.. My yard guys no longer look at me funny when I tell them not to pull up some weeds. LOL

Here is the list of the butterflies I have ID so far in my yard there was also a number of moths but I do not have them ID yes
Easter Blacks Swallowtail Butterfly
Common Buckeye Butterfly
Phaon Crescent Butterfly
Red Admiral Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly
Zebra Longwing
Pipevine Swallowtail
Gold Bar Butterfly
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Cloudless Sulfur
Painted Lady
Sleepy Orange Sulfur
Cassuis Blue

Sandy,

I overlooked that first post with links to Edith's site, sorry. I actually was driving around the countryside one day and happened by their property. I think it was a Sunday and they were closed, this was many years ago. I guess we need to get back over there for a visit.

There have been at least 8 different butterflies here, we get tons of Cloudless Sulfur, White Peacock,Giant Swallowtail,Viceroy,Gulf Fritillary and a few I haven't identified.

Will have to check out the butterfly forum.

BTW that Buckeye is gorgeous, hope they return!

Darren

Forget one

Long-tailed Skipper butterfly

That is 15 butterflies that I have ID in my garden.
Add to that 5 kinds of native bee, honey bees and a number of pollinating wasp.

Sandy

Darren you need to call ahead. They are not open except when you make a appointment.

Here is another great web site and you can narrow it down to your own county.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/checklists?species_type=0&tid=42

Thanks Sandy! Awesome website, so helpful for id's. Bookmarked. Yeah, I went to their facebook page and saw it was by appointment only. Will do.

Sandy those are great sites. I am very interested in the frog fruit. Does it take cold weather well? This morning at 6AM it was 36. Today it's supposed to warm up. Sure hope so. I can't get Charlie outside of the house.
Water temp. in ponds has been 30 for 2 days. Poor fish.
Soon we'll be complaining about the heat but thats better than worrying about all our plants surviving.
Birdbath was covered with ice yesterday morning.

Bonnie

Bonnie it is a common weed-cold does not effect it at all

Oh something to remember if you go to Shady Oaks Butterfly farm--ask about free seeds!!!

What is Frog Fruit??? Please enclose pictures.
Sidney

I googled it and its a pretty weed. Will make sure I add that to my butterfly section of the garden. Maybe someday I'll get to that butterfly farm. Sounds very interesting and I'm sure would learn a lot.

Bonnie

https://www.google.com/search?q=Frog+Fruit+Lippia+nodiflora&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=opu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2wk2UZf2C-Sy2gWmloCIAg&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1385&bih=708

Here is another weed that is a host plant-can not remember the butterfly right now
Cudweed
https://www.google.com/search?q=Frog+Fruit+Lippia+nodiflora&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=opu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2wk2UZf2C-Sy2gWmloCIAg&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1385&bih=708

I found your frog flower on another thread. Pretty little thing.
I'll start some Henna Coleus and a few others I have, go figure. ;)
I am looking forward to it.
Sidney

I remembered the American Lady Butterfly uses Cudweed as a host plant. A very beautiful tiny butterfly
That makes 16 ID butterflies on my tiny yard.

Sandy

I have confederate jasmine and bleeding heart that I can take cuttings to start if there is an interest. I also can start some Mahogany Splendor Hibiscus (red maple) that is a beautiful plant.

Darren

Definitely the confederate jasmine. I have it all across my front yard fence but side yard fence is still bare. Will look up mahogany splendor hibiscus (red maple) as I've never heard of it.

Is there a Japanese maple low shrub that will grow here? Every one I find says only to zone 8.
Bonnie

Bonnie the Mahogany Splendor grows to 6', some versions to 12' but is very easy to keep at any size. Gorgeous red color throughout including the blooms, which bloom all along the stem unlike many hibiscus. Many will come back after a freeze (but not always). My plant has survived 36 degrees so far, without protection. Smaller plants didn't do as well and would need protection til they're well established. Will start some confederate jasmine tomorrow.

Found the mahogany splendor and it is just beautiful. The ones I looked at just had leaves didn't know it blooms. The leaves are beautiful and resemble Japanese maple. Would greatly appreciate it if you could bring 1 with you. Space is not a problem around here. I would plant it where it could go as high as it wanted to. Thank you so much. I'm really excited to find new plants. I have many feet of landscape blanket and could always protect it until it gained size. My husb. says I take better care of my plants than I do him. Not true LOL

Bonnie

O.K., I'll have several Mahogany Splendor when I come.

Great, I'd like one too.
Sidney

Got it Sidney.

I love hibiscus but no more for me right now, I am trying to get more of my butterfly gardens beds built. I do need to start some seeds for the red and white Texas Stars. I really want to see what I get from crossing those 2.

I should have plenty should you change your mind Sandy ;-)

Thank you but right now I need to get a lot of seeds started and do not have much room until I get the new raised beds ready

it is cold again up here. I was going to start some seeds. At this rate I will not have any ready for the RU.

Crazy weather right. We started with such a mild winter and then after the new year, roller coaster ride all the way. Knock on wood we haven't had any frost here in West Central!

I have lived here all my life and I do not remember a crazy winter like this one.
I really need to get the seeds started this week.
I might try to root some milkweeds, I have the Giant and the Family Jewels as well as the other more common kinds.