I rescued a wild plant a couple weeks back where a college was going to expand and even though I knew it was a host plant, somehow I never expected any cats. Well, you know what happened....when I checked on how it was doing in its pot today, I found 2 small Black Swallowtail cats! The plant is called Dutchman's Breeches, Thamnosma texana, a usually small odd-looking plant in the Rue family (Rue can also can host that same kind of cat) which grows in the SW part of the country. Cat, have you ever seen any of this? I would think it would grow down there also.
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406D/images/pics/rut/thamnosma_texana.htm
Oh, I just wanted to add that there is another plant known as Dutchman's Breeches...don't know if that one is a host plant or not.
This message was edited Apr 2, 2007 10:13 PM
Wild Host for BST in SW
Linda - THAT is very interesting what you are sharing here! Never heard of Dutchman's Breeches as a host plant! VERY, VERY COOL!!!! Thanks for giving us the heads up about it being a good plant to have in our butterfly gardens! And thanks so much for all the info about this plant!!!
Interesting...I've never heard of it either. But from the looks of it I'm not going to bother trying to get any either! lol It's hard enough trying to feed BST cats on dill and rue. Those gotta be 2 skinny cats! ;)
This is what I call Dutchman's Breeches, see how the flower's look like pants?
I've never seen that one of yours, but love the BSTs.
These grow up north but I've never seen any BSTs on them.
http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H289.htm
Those common names are so confusing! Both are unique looking plants/flowers! Nice!
Yes...they call it native rue out here. I haven't seen any at the ranch but am assuming it must grow there as I always see Black Swallowtails out there.
The only two plants I've seen were out in Rio Grande City - a good 30 miles away from the ranch. I'd gone there with a couple of botanists from Austin to look around for Damiana (Mexican Frit larval host). We saw a new subdivision going up and the surrounding land being razed - it bordered a wooden area so we went to check the land out. That's where we found two dutchman's breeches plants and rescued them as well.
The seeds pods really do look like little breeches too :o) It's a very distinctive plant and once you see it - it's easy to identify. Very pungent!
Congrats on that find...and for saving that native larval host.
~ Cat