Any edible passiflora resistant to Gulf Fritillary butterfly?

[EvergladesEdibles]

I’ve been through 3 passiflora incarnata’s in the past couple years trying to get them established, and although they grow vigorously they all eventually end up devastated by gulf fritillary caterpillars. I sprayed BT once, but truthfully am not too interested in killing them or keeping up with the spraying schedule. In my research of the gulf fritillary I was sort of beginning to be under the impression that there may be other passiflora species that they tend to ignore or not favor as much as the incarnata. I certainly love passion fruit and would love to branch out into some other species... does anyone else grow other passiflora species in areas with the gulf fritillary and notice a difference in caterpillar damage? I know there’s a plethora of species and varieties out there so maybe one of them the caterpillars don’t like!

[shaneatwell]

In my yard fritillary's are only interested in 'Incense' and 'Constance Elliot'. They leave Frederick and Ligularis and a couple others i can't remember completely alone.

[W.]

Gulf fritillaries will also feed on lilikoi-type P. edulis. I have never had any problems with caterpillars negatively affecting my Passifloras. The few that manage to get on my Edulis varieties I pick off and put on my Incarnatas since I like seeing the caterpillars and butterflies. I wonder if you should encourage (fertilize, etc.) your Incarnatas to grow so vigorously that the fritillaries cannot meaningfully affect them.

[CherimoyaDude]

I have seen them on Frederick.

[mbmango]

I had never noticed a fritillary when we only had a purple (from HD, not sure of the variety). Now that we have a yellow, there always seem to be a couple in the garden.  I would pick them off when the vines were smaller, but I'm not sure how much of dent they make now that the vines are large enough. I'll still pick off large ones within easy reach.  I had also bought the BT but the vines are so vigorous I just never got around to it.  I am about to bust it out on my younger citrus bushes though, as those seem to be swallowtail magnets, and definitely can't outpace the buggers.

[Kevin Jones]

My backyard is awash in Purple Incarnata blooms and Orange Frit butterflys. Nice!
Even the caterpillars are bright orange. Very minor damage that is worth it.
The Incarnatas are so vigorous the Frits can't make a dent!

Kevin Jones

[EvergladesEdibles]

Well my instinct now is to just diversify with some different varieties and species, and maybe get them established with some BT in the beginning and a little extra fertilizer to outpace the caterpillars although they already seem to grow pretty vigorously around here. I’ve also encountered quite a few native passifloras on my property,  the corkystem I believe its called, with edible (but nasty tasting!) fruits, and I’ll probably try to spread those seeds around and encourage some volunteers. I read the caterpillars like it, my only concern is they don’t seem to get too big so it might be easy pickings for those damn caterpillars. Would love to just find a balance between the passion fruit and the caterpillars!

[roblack]

I grow lots of passiflora, have tons of butterflies and caterpillars. Have never sprayed or used insecticides. Vines grow like crazy

[bovine421]

They ate about 80% of the leaves on my Panama Red passion fruit Vine but it came right back after they morphed into butterflies

[pineislander]

Try the ordinary possum purple. Here in Pine Island they have done well for me. Grow from seed, not cuttings, to assure pollination plant several seedlings they have enough genetic difference to cross pollinate. I have had caterpillar damage but if you plant strong plants out in good amended soil they can withstand complete defoliation and come back after being 'pruned'. I let them grow up into pine trees then when they fall collect the fruit. Plant a few Blue Porter Weed plants around they attract bumblebees which will do the pollination for you. Those are the tips which led to success for me just an hour north of you.

[bovine421]

Try the ordinary possum purple. Here in Pine Island they have done well for me. Grow from seed, not cuttings, to assure pollination plant several seedlings they have enough genetic difference to cross pollinate. I have had caterpillar damage but if you plant strong plants out in good amended soil they can withstand complete defoliation and come back after being 'pruned'. I let them grow up into pine trees then when they fall collect the fruit. Plant a few Blue Porter Weed plants around they attract bumblebees which will do the pollination for you. Those are the tips which led to success for me just an hour north of you.

Thanks! PineIslander for the info on Blue Porter much appreciated

This photo was taken on Fellsmere grade Indian River County


I've seen a lot of black swallowtails and some really huge yellow butterflies at several locations

[bovine421]

I Don't Spray and I like to keep the native wild flowers and weeds around the borders of my property. Don't you dislike it when you're growing edibles on one side of the fence and your neighbor spraying roundup on the other side. What can you do


Took this today when I came home from work

[Mike T]

In my local area there are about 6 butterflies that have caterpillars on citrus and 4 that use passionfruit species. Thankfully P.edulis and giant granadilla are not on the menu.