Monarch/Milkweed question

[Anne Kilmer]

Randy Morgan wrote:
> 
> "Anne Kilmer" <viceroy at gate.net> wrote in message
> news:39F34E9B.6CDA6A21 at gate.net...
> > This sounds as if you have a lot of nectar plants, and are only
> > providing larval hosts for the milkweed butterflies. You might increase
> > the action in your butterfly garden by planting host plants for the
> > other local butterflies.
> 
> We also grow pentas, bush daisys, porter weed, lantana, society garlic,
> passion vine and Mexican petunias.

These are good nectar plants but, except for the passion vine, they
won't give you any caterpillars. If you are not getting caterpillars on
that, it's one of the many that the butterflies can't use. Try some
other species and cultivars. P suberosa is slow-growing, but the
butterflies love it. P. incensa is good, and they also like P.
incarnata. 
Your local botanical garden, or the cooperative extension service, can
help you with a list of plants. There are many nurseries, especially
native plant nurseries, that sell larval hosts. 

(Porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, does feed the Caribbean buckeye
... I don't think that's likely in Tampa though.)
There are a lot of really good books on Florida butterfly gardening.
Milkweed is only the beginning. 
> 
> >
> > I apologize to those of you who already know all this stuff ... Randy's
> > server says it never heard of him.
> 
> Just curious, but what did you mean by this last statement?
> 

This is what I get when I use the address you send from:

   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<festivus6 at hotmail.com>

  --- The transcript of the session follows ---
... while talking to mc4.law5.hotmail.com.:
>>> RCPT To:<festivus6 at hotmail.com>
<<< 550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable
550 <festivus6 at hotmail.com>... User unknown
> >
> >  -----------------------------------------------
> >

Anne Kilmer
South florida
>

 
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