Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - September 14, 2011
From: Atlanta, GA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Butterfly Gardens, Vines
Title: Is Passiflora 'Purple Haze' a host to Gulf Frittilary butterflies?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Is the passion flower purple haze (pasionaria purple haze) a host plant to gulf frittilary butterflies as is the passiflora incarnata passion flower?ANSWER:
Butterflies and Moths of North America lists the larval hosts of Agraulis vanillae (Gulf fritillary) as "various species of passion-vine including maypops (Passiflora incarnata) and running pop (P. foetida)." The Department of Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California Irvine's Butterflies and Their Larval Foodplants lists the larval food for the Gulf fritillary as Passiflora spp. and Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension's A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects also lists Passiflora spp. as the larval food source.
Passiflora 'Purple Haze' is a hybrid between Passiflora caerulea, a native of Brazil and Argentina and Passiflora amethystina, another South American native. Since the Gulf fritillary's range extends from South America through Central America into the southern US, I can see no reason why Passiflora 'Purple Haze' wouldn't be an appropriate host for its larvae.
More Vines Questions
Native trailing plant for Nebraska
October 01, 2009 - I live in the tall grass prairie area of Eastern Nebraska and am working on some prairie restoration and native plantings. I have just put in a limestone retaining wall and would like to find a nativ...
view the full question and answer
Evergreen groundcovers for NE NC
April 20, 2015 - Can you please provide a list of evergreen native groundcovers for Northeastern NC?
view the full question and answer
Propagation of blackberry from Williamsport PA
January 18, 2014 - I have been told that if you cut a branch off of a black berry bush and stick it in water for a few days, and then put it in the ground it will grow into another bush. Please tell me if this is true a...
view the full question and answer
Identification of vine in Pennsylvania
June 11, 2012 - I have several vine plants growing in my deck planters from last season. The leaves are 9 pointed, it looks more like 7, but there are 2 little points at the very bottom of the larger leaves. When t...
view the full question and answer
Are seeds of trumpet vine poisonous from Creston BC
September 12, 2013 - Are the seeds in the trumpet vines pods poisonous to humans or can I use them as dried beans? I have one plant that covers most of my house's south wall. It is a very established plant.
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |