I grow a passionflower vine in a pot on the balcony and because it's in a pot, it never grows into a huge plant. Since it's not a big plant, it can easily be devoured by it’s predator the Fritillary caterpillar. The passionflower vine is a host plant for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. They lay little yellow/orange eggs that develop into colorful caterpillars. I've experienced the caterpillars eating all the leaves on previous vines and they can do it rather quickly.
Passionflowers also have a symbiotic relationship with ants. They provide ants a nutritious nectar via extrafloral nectaries located at the base of each leaf and on the eaten leaf edge. In return, the ants protect the leaves from predators, including the fritillary caterpillars. The battle rages!
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| Ants and a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar come face to face. |
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| Ants and a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar come face to face. |
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| Ants and a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar on a passion vine. |
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| Here you can see the ants eating nutritious nectar from the tip of the leaf. |
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| Nutritious nectar produced by the passionflower vine. |
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| Nutritious nectar produced by the passionflower vine. |
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| Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar |
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