Pipevine Swallowtail

It looks like the Pipevine finally found my place. I saw only one all summer last year.
The last few days there has been 3 or 4 hanging out.

The male is the most annoying b-fly to photograph! It hardly ever sits still and it is always flapping it's wings. Also, the sun must hit it just right for the blue metallic color to really shine. Maybe I'll get a good one before the end of the day. Meanwhile, here's a side view.

Does anyone have a photo of the native GA pipevine? I'm trying to find it in the woods, but I can't find a photo showing the leafs, it's mainly the flower that is shown.

Wow, that is so beautiful!

I finally did get a photo where the blue color shows, but I cut the poor guys wings. I'm going after him again tomorrow.

Good luck!! He's a beaut!!

What beautiful pictures! Here's some links for native pipevines. Two of these are from a Florida site but I'd imagine the plants are the same
A serpentaria http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/images.asp?plantID=3644
A tomentosa, listed as endangered in FL: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/codem/W820.shtml
A pentandra, endangered in FL: http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/images.asp?plantID=3908#
Because of their status it might be better to check with a native plant nursery instead of wild collecting.

Floridian, thanks for the links. I'm not going to collect anything in the woods. I just wanted to find the stuff, that way I can make sure I don't accidentally cut it down. I have 11 acres of thick woods that I want to make passable.
I have not had any luck starting Pipevine from seed and no nursery around here has it. It drives me nuts!

I have to admire those who can take good pics of butterflies. I haven't managed to get one yet. At least flowers can't escape!
I just got a very good butfly book "Butterflies of North America" by Jeffery Glassberg. It came out last year but this is the first I saw of it. The shot of the pipevine in his book is the exact pose of Paintedlady's first pic!
Johanna
flicker

Kris, try this site for your info http://www.gnps.org/ or contact Walter Reeves here http://www.walterreeves.com/pages/129703/index.htm ask for Teresa Schrum who is often on the show with him. Did you know that his call-in Garden Show is on very Saturday am from 7? to 10 am. Teresa's been on the last few weeks I was able to catch it.

I think DG should add a Butterfly Database with all those beautiful pictures you make :).

Violabird, are you talking about a radio or tv show? Sounds interesting, I will check it out.
I guess I should check the book out too, and a database of butterflies would be nice. Especially if it had photos of cats and chrysalises too.

Kris, the radio show on 750 AM. You should be able to get in, they get callers from around the state. (I've been on twice!) That Teresa is a biggie with the native plants society.

Got your EM!

PL: I am hoping to attract these guys soon. I found a nursery in Christmas, FL that just started carrying one of the pipevines (Aristolochia sp.?). It's growing nicely on some chickenwire I stapled to the fence. I'm supposed to keep the b'flies off it for a year so it won't be stunted next year. So far that hasn't been a problem as I haven't seen a single pipevine swallowtail. I also am adding a paw paw to the gardens for the tiger swallowtail caterpillars. I hadn't had the plant home for even a day and something went after the fruits on the paw paw. Probably a rat or a squirrel. I found the seeds and a partially eaten fruit just a few feet from the plant.

Love the idea of a "flying flowers" database!!! Dave, is there any chance????? Pu-pu-pu-leeeeeease! I have lots of pictures to contribute :)

I hope your pipevine will do well. All they sell around here is the ones that are too toxic to the Pipevine Swallowtail.
Pawpaw is on my list of must haves too, and it's also impossible to find here. I'm sure you are thinking of the Zebra Swallowtail, it uses Pawpaw. I have seen a few of those butterflies years ago at another house I had. They can come here I know, and eventually I will get them. Some butterflies sure require a lot more coaxing than others.

This message was edited Sunday, Jul 20th 10:17 PM

Paintedlady:
Yes, I meant Zebra. Zebra, Tiger...easy to confuse ;) I have some paw paw seeds I got from the butterfly guy at the farmer's market this winter. I would be happy to send them to you for postage. I don't know which species of paw paw they are from but I would guess it's Asimina reticulata. You might be able to grow it up there in Atlanta. My reference book says that species will grow up to zone 8B in full or nearly full sun, wet to dry sandy soils.

I would love some seeds! I'm actually close to Savannah. I'm not sure if I'm 8a or b or right on the border, but I will try anything. I can provide plenty of sandy soil, LOL.
Email me your addy and I will have a SASE on the way.

PL, you have mail :)

I second the motion for a "flying flowers" database!
yvana :)