Just posted it over on the seed trading forum. If interested please respond over at the seed trading forum. Thanks Don
Have; Dutchman's Pipe Aristolochia gigantea seed
Don....those are fast growing vines and a good host plant for the Polydamas in your area........
HOWEVER, be aware they are not useful for the Pipevine Swallowtail. They will lay eggs on it, but when the first instart begins to eat, it dies; seems it is toxic to them.
Your sure right,polydamus by the 100's they just love the pipevine.
Wow, Sheila, I did not know that. I planted a DP this spring and it is beautiful, thick, lush and healthy. Guess it's a good thing I've had just about zero butterflies all summer long (and no Pipevines at all). I hope I remember this next year and not bother planting another one.
Carla
Loonie1 I believe it's just A.gigantea that has the effects on the pipevine swallowtails. I think most the other varieties of dutchman pipe the pipevine swallowtail larva will do just fine on ,munch their little heart to full contenment and turn into those flying jewels we all love to see. I'm just in an area with very few make it here. This is the polydamus hood and we all just love the gigantea for its huge flowers. Don PS ain't that something, here it's like stepping on the surface of the sun when you go outside in the afternoon and I'm just loaded with butterflies and my 2 hummingbirds . I guess it's just what plants are able to survive the heat will determine how many butterflies will be around. Don
Hey Carla...... The Aristolochia gigantea, and the A. elegans are both toxic to the Pipevine ST per Dale (local butterfly farmer). The plants are death traps to the larva when they begin to eat it they die. Better options for us in Texas are the A. fimbriata and the A. tomentosa.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/63661/ This one is a low growning and can be used around other plants in a bed. Peg gave me seeds of this one and she usually has plants too if she is coming to the RU this year.
I stand corrected A. Elegans is also a death sentence to PST. Sorry for the bad advice. Don
Not a problem...we just found out last fall.
I sure wish it didn't Don, then I would have food to feed all they layed. As it is I run out and have to bus them to someone else until my vine is going again. This year without bfs around maybe if the heat would let up my plants could catch up! LOL!
I guess it's like milkweed for monarch's you can never have enough of the good stuff. It's like the garden club I belong too,with their plant sales.When I joined they didn't even have a Butterfly/Hummingbird table. Now that's pretty much all I bring to the sales. I grow the milkweed by the hundreds and the Texas sage (Mexican sage) by the tons and anything else I can get the free seeds for . I mostly sell out of the Butt/Humm stuff every time. I think that's all we can do for are flying jewels and just keep spreading the seed in hopes one day we will have enough.
I think what I have is A. giganta (I'll check the tag when I get home tonight). Deb gave me 2 A. serpentarias at the spring RU last year. They're both alive but very small still. I don't think they like our 100 degree never-ending heat. But, like I said, I'm just not getting any butterflies. Even the parsley is untouched.
Carla
Great Don, glad you are passing on the fun of having butterfly host plants! I haven't looked am my seed stash this summer, but I bet I have something you might can use. I will be sending out some in september to another DGer and will look then.
Carla..my Serpentaria is about a year old but didn't grow at all this summer...it is barely surviving the heat. I have an American Beauty berry that was loaded with blooms, now berries are formed and the leaves are wilted...don't think it is going to make it long enough for the berries to turn color. All of my Butterfly bushes have lost their leaves, and the Frostweed is budding out but drooping in the afternoon. It is just a bad year all round.