Florida Trip

18 years ago

I've been in Florida for the past week visiting with my oldest daughter, who lives in North Tampa. On the way there, I picked up a pond cypress, a bald cypress, a pyramid magnolia, and two spruce pines at Mail Order Natives in Lee, Florida. I picked up acorns underneath all the oak trees I saw at rest stops that are types I don't have at all or I want more of for my woods. I'll be planting acorns in containers tomorrow.

Tuesday, we drove down to the Sarasota area and visited Crowley's Nursery and the Florida Native Nursery. I bought a dahoon holly/ilex cassine, a Walter's viburnum/v. obovatum, passiflora 'White Wedding' and FNN gave me some cuttings from their white flowering passionvine as thanks for me identifying it for them - I'm pretty certain it's p. subpeltata. Their p. subpeltata had gulf frit cats all over it in all sizes, so I saw with my own eyes that it has to be a good host plant. I carried my cuttings in water all the way back home, and I potted them up this evening. I put them in my bathroom, and I've even added a portable heater to give them enough heat that they'll hopefully root - the heater is great anyway, since it keeps me from freezing when I bathe in the winter!

While I was at the two nurseries, I saw quite a few butterflies for the first time, butterflies that I'd only seen in pictures before, like an orange barred sulphur, a white peacock and a polka dot wasp moth. I was surprised at how small white peacocks are - I know they're related to buckeyes, but for some reason I thought they'd be bigger. Instead, they turned out to be the same size.

{{gwi:554159}}
I was also surprised at how big polka dot wasp moths are - they're a good bit bigger than the scarlet-bodied wasp moths I see here.

Before I got to Tampa, we stopped at a rest stop, and I got a picture of a zebra longwing - none of these pictures are very good, but then I only had time to snap and run! :)

{{gwi:554160}}
I saw the first queen I've seen in quite a while - Crowley's Mexican flame vine attracted more butterflies than any other flowering plant at the nursery, no different than here! At least I think this was a queen - I suppose it could have been a soldier -

{{gwi:550566}}
I had a wonderful time seeing my daughter and grandson for the first time in a long time, but I'm glad to be home where I can sleep in my own bed! :)

MissSherry

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

janetg57
18 years ago
Great pictures, MissSherry! It sounds like you had a great time and got some wonderful host plants, as well. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I hope the passionvine roots for you.

Janet
MissSherry
Original Author
18 years ago
I hope it does, too, Janet!
MissSherry
Related Professionals
Somerset Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Kalamazoo Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Manhattan Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bridgeport Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Chatham Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Richmond Landscape Contractors · Charlotte Landscape Contractors · Danville Landscape Contractors · Rochester Landscape Contractors · Mesquite Landscape Contractors · Tacoma Landscape Contractors · Somerset Home Builders · Bartlesville Home Builders · Anniston Home Builders · Rutland Home Builders
mboston_gw
18 years ago
Glad you had such a great trip. We pulled out our Mexican Flame vine. It was huge but never flowered and I never saw any butterflies around it. Strange as you and others always commented on it being a good nectar plant.

I think your one is a Queen. Aren't White Peacocks beautiful? They look like stain glass to me, especially in the sun.

Maybe next time you come this way, we could me half way between Tampa and Lakeland. Would love to me you in person.
Fledgeling_
18 years ago
How exotic! These are as good as some exotic steamy jungle insect fauna for me- and seemingly just as far. the White Peacock is stunning, never seen a photo, just guide plates.
MissSherry
Original Author
18 years ago
I'd love to meet you, Mary! The next time I go to Florida, I'll post it on this forum, and maybe we can meet at a nursery or something! :) I agree, white peacocks are beautiful - wish I got them here.
It WAS pretty steamy while I was in Florida, fledgeling, in the lower 80's in the daytime. The cold front came through the day we left, though, so it cooled down there, too.
MissSherry
mcronin
18 years ago
misssherry,

So happy to read about all your good times on the trip. I think I remember a year or two ago when you agonized over driving to Florida by yourself; WHAT A CHANGE A YEAR (OR TWO) MAKES.

Have a great holiday.

mike
butterflymomok
18 years ago
MisSherry,

It's good to see you back on the BF forum. I was missing your presence. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip. I'm definitely ready for some warmer weather here. We are forecast for an ice storm next week.

The passis you got sound terrific. You are really getting to be a "Passi expert!" I hope the cutting grows for you. I am having fantastic luck using perlite for cuttings.

Your pictures were great. I love the Peacock BF also. I saw my first one in Guyana, S.A., where sadly the only BFs I saw were the Peacock and a variation of our Buckeye. I can't help but imagine there were all kinds of BFs there at one time. But it is one of the poorest countries in our hemisphere and has had lots of exploitation of the ecosystem.

I love to go on nursery visits when I go to new places. You can always find plants that aren't available through the local nurseries.

Take care,

Sandy
MissSherry
Original Author
18 years ago
An ice storm next week, Sandy? Wow! I guess that means our temps will at least be dropping, too - right now it's in the low 70's.
I really have fun going to new nurseries and seeing the local native flora in different areas, too. Wherever I go, I see things through a nature lover's lens!
MissSherry
MissSherry
Original Author
18 years ago
I potted up the lowermost parts of my passiflora cuttings - I still had lots of vine ends that were a little too thin to try to root in soil, so I just kept them in the plastic cup they've been in since I got them and set them outside. I've been amazed at how well the foliage has held up, even with sun shining on it! Anyway, it has lots of flower buds on it, and one has opened this afternoon - I guess it must be the warm weather we're having right now. I took a picture - isn't it beautiful?
{{gwi:554161}}
Now I'm wondering if maybe the thin pieces with the flower buds will root in water? Could be!
MissSherry