http://www.gatewaytothegoldenisles.com/
Our June 2009 article in Gateway To The Golden Isles (online and in print):
Native Butterflies
Grow This Vine—and Raise Butterflies!
If you live along the Georgia coast and you like butterflies, pretty flowers, and exotic fruit, have we got the perfect plant for you—the wild passion flower.
Although there are over 400 tropical species in the genus Passiflora, our native coastal Georgia passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) is a fast growing perennial vine that can survive winter freezes. It is often seen growing on the edges of fields, along side ditches and other sunny, moist and fertile places.
This amazing climbing vine bears intriguing, lovely purple-and-white flowers that transform into delicious, edible fruit. The fruits (also called maypops) are about the size of an apricot and have a similar but stronger and more aromatic flavor (like a guava). The passion flower vine in our garden is really starting to get a foothold, now that the warmth of summer has arrived.
These plants are mostly pest free, but are much loved by the caterpillars of several kinds of colorful butterflies, especially the lovely, orange-patterned Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and the yellow-and-black striped Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charitonius). Starting in about mid-summer, the butterflies lay pinhead-sized eggs on the leaves. These hatch into ravenous caterpillars that will devour much of the plant. Not to worry—this hardy vine will revive year after year, and with it, a new crop of beautiful butterflies to enjoy.
