jojo" wrote in message
...
| In article ,
| Gae Xavier wrote:
|
| Good for you! Wildlife in Austin town!
|
| Well, the one passion vine (I have several) growing in a container
and
| draped around a tree trunk was swarming with the Zebras the other
day so
| I ran in to get my camera.
|
| There were 2 or 3 Zebras flying around it, caterpillars on it and
and a
| couple mating in it, so... just get your self a couple of passion
vines
| and you will create a habitat for lots and lots of butterflies.
|
| I am seeing a lot of the orange frits. and sulfurs now too.
|
| There is one dragonfly who is my favorite. He has one half of a
bottom
| right side wing, so I know it is him when we chat.
|
| LOL -- Gae
|
| wow, what a sight I'm sure. Had a passionflower vine at one time,
but
| don't remember a butterfly extravaganza like the one you describe -
| maybe I need to try again in a different location.
|
| I remember when we lived in Travis Heights - Blunn Creek in our
backyard
| - HUNDREDS of gulf frits on the ancient Burr Oak that grew alongside
its
| banks. I'll never forget it. I miss that Burr Oak.
|
| I want to grow some dill for the swallowtails (or is it Monarchs, I
| never can remember - or is it fennel? ha!).
|
| Regards,
|
| jojo

These past couple of weeks in close-in south Austin, we've seen
hundreds of gulf fritillaries, clouded sulphurs, zebra longwings,
smaller sulphurs and small less spectacular butterflies, plus some
giant black swallowtails, and quite a few monarchs coasting in on cool
fronts. They've all been industriously at the passion vine, the
hyacinth beans, the asclepias / milkweed plants, and the lantanas. A
neighbor gave me a tip that monarchs particularly like Gregg's mist
(conoclinium greggii or eupatorium greggii). I'd seen this plant
around without knowing its name, although it certainly appears to be a
strange kind of aster relative. All sorts of butterflies like our
fennel.