Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar

Found this caterpillar at the ranch too. There is also an egg on the stem. I left them there as I don't have any of this native pipevine aka swan flower growing here. I have dutchman's pipe vines growing at my house but the butterflies don't use it. I plan to drive back out to the ranch this weekend and look for these plants and transplant them into pots to grow at my house. Am thinking I've got my work cut out for me as these plants are only a few inches tall and very hard to find...and to think I'll be walking around a hundred or so acres looking for them in the wild native brushland!

~ Cat

I haven't dug up a Swan Flower (yet) but I've heard they have this large root (or tuber...don't remember which) that goes out underground from the plant, so I think you have to dig around and find all of it. The plant is so grass-like it's extremely hard to spot unless it's blooming or something. Or has cats!

wow thought they only got on Pipevines. Is the swanflower a type of pipevine??

The Swan Flower is aristolochia erecta. Am going to the ranch this weekend to look for some...but as it is low growing and looks like grass it will be hard to find unless the purple tinge on the new leaves is present and it's in bloom. The bloom looks something like an elongated calico flower - very dark - almost black with white dots - you can see part of the bloom folded over near the bottom of the photo.

~ Cat

This message was edited Aug 22, 2006 7:14 PM