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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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Butterfly-leaf plant: The Story (plus happy photo intermissions)
Posted Sep 25, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Sep 25, 2010 at 11:09 PM
I’ve got my butterfly-wing! aka swallowtail plant, aka butterfly leaf, aka striped butterfly. Maybe it’s best just to remember Christia obcordata.
The photo at top is Mitch Armstrong and Annie Strague’s “mother plants,” huge and beautiful butterflies from which they propagate cuttings. These are about 4 feet tall and have burst through their pot bottoms and rooted in the ground.
This eye-catching plant—Mitch and Annie say it flies off the shelves everywhere they go: North Carolina, Georgia, here – hasn’t been around all that long. They’ve been growing it about three years, and haven’t found much information from other sources to help. They’re gathering that from their own experience and through ruthless quizzing of customers.
Charlene Andrews, right, and Rob Simmons, who live in St. Pete, were both replacing butterflies today that they lost in the winter cold. That’s love—death did not deter them! (They were ruthlessly quizzed.)
Here’s the butterfly-leaf story. I’m going to drop in some completely irrelevant photos of Mitch and Annie’s other plants, just to keep it interesting.
Mitch says butterfly-wing is from the Philippines, where it’s a perennial. It was introduced here about four years ago by a grower in Apopka. It hasn’t taken off with the big growers because it can be “persnickety,” he says. But when “The Mitch and Annie Show” take it on the road, it’s a hit everywhere. They sell out. The folks north of us are happy to buy it as an annual.
But we like perennials. (Right?) And this does require some coddling to make it through the winter. Some succeed; others do not, say Mitch and Annie.
Intermission No. 1: Clerodendrum shooting star – variegated!
Butterfly-leaf loves the heat, but not the sun. It can take morning sun, but shade or filtered light the rest of the day. And the colors are much more striking if it’s shaded – they fade in the bright sun.
It also likes water, but only on its terms. Water it well, then let it dry out before you water again. And it’s picky about fertilizer. Slow-release is fine; too much Miracle Crack can give you an OD. DOA.
Trim it back to make it bushy.
Intermission No. 2: Chinese croton in a hanging basket (so animals won’t get to it because it’s poisonous)
Now for the tough part: winter.
Butterfly-leaf cringes at 50 degrees or less. If you have it in a pot, bring it inside. But that doesn’t guarantee survival.
“We’ve had some customers who had them live through the winter inside, and some who had them die,” Annie says.
If you bring it inside, keep it away from vents blowing hot air. You may want to spray it with a mister occasionally.
Mitch thinks it does better in the ground through the winter. When it dies back, cover it with mulch and it will probably come back in the spring, he says.
Intermission No. 3: red Mussaenda (tropical dogwood)
If you’re thinking you’ll pull my trick and take cuttings just as the cold is pounding at our gardens, take note. Rob, in the photo at top, had the same idea. But his cuttings didn’t root.
Mitch and Annie propagate these in a greenhouse with misters. If you lack that little accessory, Annie suggests putting a baggie over your little pot to create a greenhouse effect. But Mitch says even that is hit-or-miss. He also says you should pot up your cutting as soon as you snip it – it dies quick.
I had a nice time chatting with Mitch and Annie (who happen to be good friends with one of our fav festival vendors, George Griepenburg and Cindy Deloy.) They all love finding unusual plants and helping gardeners succeed with them. Like my other favorite growers, they’re in it to make a living, of course, but they’re also gardeners who enjoy sharing the joy.
As-you-file-out trailer: Wollemi pine tree – a dinosaur tree reclaimed from near extinction in Australia
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on September 25, 2010
Yea Penny! We are all glad you got your butterfly plant. I really like the red tropical dogwood and have never seen one before.Happy Fall y’all.Pumpkin
Posted by (kgardens) on September 26, 2010
Glad you got your butterfly plant. I tried some cuttings but they didn’t take. Sounds like I better try again so I can have a better chance of getting at least one plant to make it through winter. Looks like you hit a great plant sale.
Posted by (Chip) on September 26, 2010
Plant shopping is the only shopping I do willingly! the rest, well I could live without. Looks like you found a good one! From what I have read here I bet your butterfly plant thrives on humidity. I am just guessing but that would explain why they die when brought inside your A.C.‘s biggest job is rid your home of humidity and I bet if you try a start when it is real humid you will have your best luck. A shed or garage when it is real cold any place unairconditioned and mist it and I bet it would be ok…“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on September 26, 2010
When Penny’s on a mission, she always gets her plant! Thanks Mitch and Annie for all the great info on the butterfly wings. I really like that tropical dogwood, too.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on September 26, 2010
Yay! You got that cute, adorable butterfly plant. Sounds a little picky but worth the effort. I agree on the plant yard sales . I got a golden rain tree as a sapling for 2 bucks one time and now I have a gorgeous tree that our new baby Monarch butterflies find refuge in. And the old timey gardeners are full of great info on gardening in Florida.
I’m kinda partial to that Chinese croton. They can be picky in the cold too, right?
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on September 26, 2010
I can do the Dirt Facebook page but I’m not sure anyone can see them here, with a link, unless we are “friended”. How does that work? Worth a shot though. If it doesn’t work—-friend me. I’d love it.
This is the beginning of the Monarch butterfly saga
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=83541&id=1553993680
And this is the Monarch butterfly being born this morning
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=84122&id=1553993680
Posted by (Chip) on September 26, 2010
Just got to read today’s Trib Kim. Great story any time you can get kids gardening its a great thing. I think of gardening as a life skill. Keep us posted on how the kids are doing…“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on September 27, 2010
Yes Susan is a great friend and neighbor in facebook! And I hope you all got some of this rain down in Riverveiw! Just perfect timing on this rain! I planted everything that was ready ,jumped a few things into larger pot’s. Then I refilled the empty trays with more seeds and started some pole beans and peas then I fertilized everything! this full Moon was a busy time for me..“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on September 27, 2010
OK—-how about this. You can see the whole series, picture by picture of the Monarch butterfly birth on Flickr. No Facebook joining involved. I don’t know if the comments are the same but it’s pretty cool to see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34637286@N08/
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on September 27, 2010
Susan, I watched your butterfly when I got home today very cool to see.
Chip, It is great to see kids in the garden, its the only way for them to see first hand how much work goes into it it. Pumpkin
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on September 27, 2010
The IB kids hold all there parties out there.When an IB teacher retires they hold the party out there.We are going to have one or two work days out there, many kids did show up for the work day.The old president Hannah she knew how much work it is.My finally answer is we are holding many work days this year, they do seem to be proud after the work is done.Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on September 28, 2010
The Kids should be proud Pumpkin! one thing I have learned about kids over the years is to give them achievable goals, and success will do the rest. Keep up the good work! “Chip”