There is a large stand of Painted Leaf, Poinsettia cyathophora, blooming in the garden that is a holdover from the original Butterfly Garden. I say a large stand, it would be larger but we judiciously remove many of the plants that spring up. The plant is a very good grower; in fact the Natives for your Neighborhood website states: Not recommended for general landscape use. It can be incorporated into habitat restorations but it can be very aggressive, recruiting readily from seed and growing very quickly. Phil Parham would agree; he still has not forgiven me for giving him this plant for his yard. He feels about it like I feel about Grapevines, Native – Yes, Invasive – YES!
The plant is called Wild Poinsettia because the flowers are similar to the commercial poinsettia. The flowers are green, subtended by large reddish leafy bracts. They can be quite large and showy. I had not been too impressed with this plant until a recent trip to Blind Pass Beach. There was a large stand of Poinsettia cyathophora that was literally covered with Gulf Fritillary butterflies. There were other flowering plants around but they choose Painted Leaf to nectar on. I also learned that it is a host plant for the rather unassuming Ello sphinx moth. I now have a new respect for this plant; it IS an asset to the garden.
References:
Steph's Virtual Butterfly Garden, Wild Poinsettia http://butterflies.heuristron.net/plants/poinsettia.html
Natives for your Neighborhood, Painted Leaf http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Poincyat
Online Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, Poinsettia cyathophora http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=616
Butterflies and Moths of North America, Ello sphinx http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3421
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr