I’m joining the Six on Saturday gang again with some new friends and growth in the garden. I select plants that butterflies and I enjoy. Above is a Gulf Fritillary that probably started out life as an egg on my large Passionfruit vine and has hung around the garden to sip nectar from the Tropical Red Salvia and Sapphire Showers Duranta.
A black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. This guy started life as an egg on a parsley plant in a pot on my front porch. He ate all the parsley and I had to import some from another pot to feed him until he made the transition.
The Black Swallowtail caterpillar starting to form a chrysalis.
The transition complete, the butterfly will take 10 to 20 days to form. The chrysalis hangs from the basil plant in the same pot.
I finally caught the scent and flowers of the Moonvine. These are pollinated by night flying moths, I haven’t seen the moths.
A Red Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) well known for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. I rarely see a hummingbird here, they usually go down the west coast of Florida.
That’s it from me this Saturday. Hoping to see more butterflies shortly. To see more SOS posts visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com
Happy Gardening.
The Shrub Queen 
A Swallowtail caterpillar ate one of my 3 parsley plants down to the ground, but it then recovered. Haven’t found the chrysalis or seen the butterfly yet, but we do have more monarchs than I’ve seen in the past.
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I saw at least 7 swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley and that was the only one to make it..not sure what happened to the others probably lizard meals. We have more Monarchs here though I have some milkweed in the garden this year, not too much has been eaten.
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I do like this big caterpillar even if it must damage the plants … Regarding the photo of the Moonvine flower, it’s very successful because it gives an almost pearly effect. 👍🏻😀
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The caterpillar eats 3 sprigs of parsley daily, it is growing back. Made me wonder how many butterfly eggs I have eaten making salad! Thank you, I used a flash in that picture.
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Great post. Love your black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. I bought parsley seeds for them but never got them planted.
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Thank you, I hope to see the butterfly. The parsley has been around for a couple of years, which surprised me. Grown from seed, Giant of Italy, tastes good, too.
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It is always lucky to find a chrysalis. After reading the comment on your Moonvine, I had to go back and take a look. It does look like a pearl.
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I netted the pot after all the other caterpillars got eaten. So, herb branches were its only choice.
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A great six this week, Amy. The moon vine fairly glows. I grew one once and used to go sit by it in the evening so I could enjoy its scent.
I love that beautiful swallowtail larva and that you now have a chrysalis to watch. I hope you don’t miss the big event!
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Thanks, Eliza. It had bloomed sveral times and I kept forgetting about it. One night I smelled it and got the camera. The chrysalis is under a net cuz the lizards ate all the other caterpillars. I am keeping an eye on when it turns clear. Fingers crossed!
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Hey, I just got some seed for moonvine . . . right in the middle of July! Well, I do not know what to do with them, but will not likely plant them until the end of winter. Is it reliably perennial?
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No, it is an annual here. you have to soak or nick the seeds..
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Thank you. That is good to know. I was not expecting them to be perennial anyway. I can scarify the seed, but will soak nothing. They can soak in the ground.
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That works! I think these are tropical morning glories??
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That is how I remember them, tropical.
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Lovely closeup of butterflies and caterpillars.
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Thank you
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The Moonvine is very pretty and seems to glisten. What an approriate name. 😃
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