Pages

▼

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Passionvine virus warning; Pest Alert website

Collier County's Extension Office has just put out a warning about passionfruit crinkle potyvirus. The concern is that if it gets established, it will ultimately affect butterflies, such as the gulf fritillary and the zebra longwing, for which it's a host plant.

I learned about this today from Thomas Fasulo, who runs the very useful Featured Creature page on the University of Florida's IFAS website. He also maintains the Pest Alert listserv, which also provides invaluable info for Florida gardeners.
at

5 comments:

  1. NanaKAugust 5, 2010 at 6:28 AM

    Oh my. My passion vines were eaten repeatedly to the ground and have never really grown much since early summer. Maybe that will save them for next year. No leaves on bare stems so no signs of virus.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Terra MirabilisAugust 5, 2010 at 11:07 AM

    Hey, Nana. My native passionvine, the corky vine, doesn't have much left either. Maybe this is how the butterflies will save themselves: there's nothing for the virus to infect?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Steve AsbellAugust 5, 2010 at 2:18 PM

    Oh no! Thanks for alerting us!

    ReplyDelete
  4. MrBrownThumbAugust 10, 2010 at 1:47 PM

    I was just admiring a passion flower on the blog of another one of you Florida gardeners. They're beautiful and I wish I could grow them from seed but I have a lot of trouble getting them to germinate. So, I'll just enjoy them from a distance.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Terra MirabilisAugust 11, 2010 at 10:54 AM

    @MBT: Are you adverse to buying small plants, though? Passionvines should thrive in the Chicago summer, and, if in a container, can be overwintered inside. That, of course, is if caterpillars don't eat them to the ground. (Which is what I grow the boring native one for.)

    ReplyDelete

Please leave a comment. Comments are like a garden path, leading us on to new discoveries and vistas. I look forward to hearing from you and I always reply.