So you looked it up and you're dying for that big green Malachite Butterfly to visit your yard? Me too! Hopefully I can help you find some green shrimp plant of your own.

Green shrimp plant is an Extremely common weed here in Southeast Florida, at least in Palm Beach and Broward counties. You've probably been mowing it. I was before I figured out what it was. Then I preserved several areas of it in my yard, and weeded the grass (shh, don't tell my husband!), but the Malachite Butterflies never came. I've heard that they like rotten fruit and wooded areas, but can't confirm that since I've never seen one in person (yet). Finding one is on my very long list of things to do.   Update: I FOUND them!

Hopefully these pictures will help you find some green shrimp plant, Blechum pyramidatum, for yourself. The Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants has a page on green shrimp plant here. Oh my, another confusing species name moment.... I had it written down as Blechum pyramidatum, and now when I go back (a few years later) to check the link it looks like Ruellia blechum L.

Whatever they call it - and I'll stick to green shrimp plant now - it's a neat plant that leaves me ever hopeful that a Malachite might move into my yard. As the years pass, I suspect that that isn't very likely to happen, but it's more fun to remain optimistic and consider it possible.

I've found both Malachite butterfly caterpillars and White Peacock butterfly caterpillars eating Green Shrimp Plant. The Malachites, like this one to the left, are dark black with red spines. The White Peacocks are also very dark with a slight brownish tinge to their spines: