Floral Fireworks

Close up of Passion Flower [Passiflora incarnata] Blossom

Another beauty in my backyard.

Last fall we noticed quite a few butterflies in our back yard. We decided to look for something that they would like to eat. I grabbed a couple of these Passion Flower (AKA Maypop & Apricot Vine) vines in the store because I have always loved them. After some research we also tried another flowering vine.

A few days after getting the vines settled in, one of our visitors returned and sat right on the Passion Flower vine. Apparently I am not the only one who likes them. Of course, they probably were not admiring the blossoms, they must taste pretty good too. (Butterflies taste and smell with their feet.)

Before long, the small vines were so covered in butterfly larvae they almost didn't make it (they must taste really good). We were able to watch them build cocoons but we did not catch any of them leaving.

Happily, spring is here and one of the vines is covered in buds and we have already seen one early beautiful blossom. The other is still recovering from it's fall job as a butterfly drive thru, (errr... fly thru?) But it looks like it will make it.