They say you can use a pumpkin - you just need to keep it whole but cut chunks out of it to show the flesh.
When I tried it, they slowly ate it but nothing beats Swan Plants.
I just wish I could get a swan plant to keep growing and not die away when winter comes.
squeaking,
Mar 9, 6:49pm
we used to feed them pumkin ,worked a treat, there is another relative to the swan plant! try googling it,
lythande1,
Mar 10, 6:31am
There isn't one. The pumpkin thing works sometimes with older caterpillars but isn't really a complete substitute for younger ones.
cantabman1,
Mar 10, 7:01am
they will eat it but wont mettimorphize[ sorry bad spelling there] anyway, the only think to do is buy more swan plants, or let them starve.
dibble35,
Mar 10, 10:59am
NO, they will eat Kapok vine/moth vine if you can find one, I know its a noxious weed but someone may have them growing as weeds where you could transfer your caterpillars if you're desperate.
smoocher,
Mar 10, 2:09pm
x1
This. Yes Moth Vine It works, the caterpillars eats it and develop normally and turn into butterflys
jellybean010,
Mar 10, 2:15pm
Zucchini's:) they seem to like these
cantabman1,
Mar 10, 2:21pm
x1
For goodness sake people, who the heck has a Moth vine. As previously stated, get some more swann plants; cost you $4 gees!
mottly,
Mar 10, 2:29pm
zucchini's, pumpkins, are all a waste of time, out of about 50, you'll only get half a doz or so that will actually make it.butterfly weed or milkweed's are what you need.if you can find them.
christin,
Mar 10, 2:35pm
x1
My neighbour and it keeps working its way here :-(
dibble35,
Mar 10, 4:31pm
May be only $4 each, but they are small plants and a good size caterpillar will polish 1 off in a day or 2. If you have a few caterpillars soon adds up.
deathrockboy,
Mar 10, 4:40pm
Moth vine can kill the adult butterflies too. There are a few other Asclepias species which are sometimes available which they will feed on too. The butterflies will lay eggs on a bunch of other Apocynaceae plants but the caterpillars will die as they can't eat the leaves. Pachypodium springs to mind. Lots of eggs on mine one year, but leaves weren't touched.
smoocher,
Mar 10, 4:53pm
Im only answering the OP question as to what alternatives there are to swan plants. Tweedia is another plant, but hard to get and probably twice the price of swan plants. Moth vine grows wild on many industrial sites.
frag,
Apr 12, 5:55am
There is a perennial plant has orange flowers. Thats a bit vague.but if you ask at a garden centre they may know! It gets referred to as perennial swan plant.
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