This mounding shrub from South Africa attracts many types of butterflies. Easy to grow in well drained soil and full to partial shade. They bloom profusely during the summer and fall. One of the most common butterflies in Florida, the cloudless sulpher is attracted to red flowers such as pentas or tropical sage for nectar. Journeying thousands of miles to reach their winter resting place in Mexico, the monarch butterfly is abundant in Florida during the spring and fall.
Nature often uses mimicry to confuse predators.
Chemicals from these plants become concentrated in the bodies of caterpillars and butterflies and make them distasteful to birds and other predators. The giant swallowtail is aptly named for its 5 inch plus wingspan. The powdery yellow color that marks the undersides of its wings and its large size, makes this butterfly easy to recognize even from far away. They feed on members of the citrus family. Visiting gardens year-round, the female places her eggs on passionvine species.