Pipevine Swallowtail on Bee Balm
As long-time butterfly gardeners, we are aware of and cherish the many caterpillar food plants (host plants) on our property: Red Cedar, Black Cherry, Dwarf Hackberry, various oaks, Sassafras, Sweet Gum, Tulip Tree, American Holly, Red Maple, Persimmon, Arrowwood Viburnum, Winged Sumac, Elderberry, Trumpet Creeper, Virginia Creeper, Seaside Goldenrod, New England Aster, Joe-pye-weed, Boneset, Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Sweet Everlasting, Partridge Pea, Little Bluestem, Broomstem Bluestem, and many, many more.
The pipe-like flower on Dutchman’s Pipe
Pipevine Swallowtails lay their eggs only on Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia. Keen on attracting these stunning butterflies and knowing how important it is to provide the host plant, especially when so specific, I was on the lookout for a source. Over fifteen years ago a butterfly gardening friend, George Bassett, shared one of his Dutchman’s Pipe vines with me. George’s garden in Linwood, New Jersey, has hosted Pipevine Swallowtails for years. My butterfly garden, now in its thirty-fifth year, had only rarely attracted one, and only as a visitor, stopping briefly for a sip of nectar.
Dutchman’s Pipe growing up my Tulip Tree
I initially planted George’s vine on my chain link fence, but grape and Virginia Creeper quickly overwhelmed it and I could no longer find it after two years. George generously shared a second vine. Another wildlife gardening friend, Jesse Connor, had planted her Dutchman’s Pipe vine at the base of a large shade tree. I followed Jesse’s example and, in 2001, planted my second vine at the base of my Tulip Tree. With a little help (twine in strategic places), it climbed up the trunk.
It grew lushly, but each year the winter squirrel activity knocked it back to the ground as they chased each other up and down the Tulip Tree trunk. So, each spring I started over, training it back up the tree trunk. Several years ago, to thwart the squirrels, I wrapped loose netting around the trunk and wove the Dutchman’s Pipe vine through it. Now each spring it releafs the length of the vine and grows lushly about 20 feet up into the tree.
I planted a second vine at the base of a Dwarf Hackberry tree. The squirrels were not as attracted to this tree and the vine, with a little assistance, grew higher and higher up into the Hackberry. Today the vine wanders through the canopy and into nearby trees.
Female laying eggs on our Dutchman’s Pipe vine
Despite my offering of two Dutchman’s Pipe vines, only rarely had we seen Pipevine Swallowtails in our garden. That all changed on June 3, 2012, when a female Pipevine Swallowtail flew round and round and round our Tulip Tree looking for just the right bit of our eleven-year old Dutchman’s Pipe vine to lay her eggs on.
She finally settled on a tender shoot way up and, aided by binoculars, we watched her lay 17 eggs in a single laying. Afterwards and for the next few days, she continued to wander round and round, but (at least while we were watching) never seemed to find another suitable leaf or stem to lay additional eggs on.
17 tiny Pipevine Caterpillars fed in a group for almost two weeks
They grew in leaps and bounds in the last week
Pipevine Swallowtail chrysalis – a work of art
The eggs hatched in three days and the tiny caterpillars fed in a tight cluster until June 21, when they began to disperse. Soon my daily visits to the Dutchman’s Pipe grew more challenging as groups of two or three caterpillars moved off to feed on their own. Each day I wasn’t happy until I’d found all of them hidden under the leaves. In the last week they grew in leaps and bounds. They began disappearing between June 28 and June 30, when they went off on a walkabout to pupate.
As if all this wasn’t exciting enough, a second female Pipevine Swallowtail visited our yard June 28 and laid eggs on the vine growing up our Hackberry. These eggs weren’t as easy to monitor. But she or a second female returned every other day through July 8 and laid eggs on Dutchman’s Pipe seedlings coming up in our yard below the Hackberry. I had potted a seedling up for a friend and left it on the back porch only to watch her lay eggs on my gift. I couldn’t give it away until the eggs hatched and I had relocated the caterpillars to the larger plant.
I believe the Dutchman’s Pipe my friend George shared with me eleven years ago is Aristolochia tomentosa, Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe, native in the east, but not known from New Jersey where we live (though it is flourishing here). If you live in the East, others to plant in your garden include Aristolochia macrophylla (native all along the East Coast south to northern Georgia) and Virginia Snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria (native from southern New York and Connecticut south through Florida and west to Texas and Kansas). Others are available in the West like California Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica.
A seedling discovered by a female Pipevine Swallowtail
Every year (and for the past twenty-one years) I lead “Tours of Private Butterfly Gardens.” A special treat on the July 2012 tours was being able to show the group Pipevine Swallowtail eggs and caterpillars in our garden.
Plant it and they will come . . . eventually. We had waited patiently for eleven years and now our garden is swimming in Pipevine Swallowtails. A bright, fresh male visited the yard July 16, maybe emerged from one of our very own chrysalises, wherever they may be. It seems that a colony of Pipevine Swallowtails is establishing itself in our garden this summer. So, lesson learned, stay hopeful and keep trying!
© 2012, Pat Sutton. All rights reserved. This article is the property of Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
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Pat, glad the Pipevine Swallowtails finally found your vine. We have a five year old vine (tomentosa) here in Kentucky and have had caterpillars for the past three years. We’ve had more caterpillars this year than ever before and I’ve wondered if it’s been an especially good year for them. I’ve enjoyed raising some of the caterpillars indoors. I find that the eggs often disappear before hatching – probably a delicacy for someone out there.
Hi Betty, YES I think it may be an especially good year in that many people I know with Dutchman’s Pipe vines have also attracted egg-laying Pipevine Swallowtails for the first time ever. Enjoy them!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
Had one single caterpillar this year–and now there’s a single pipevine swallowtail in the garden! It’s not much, but it’s a start!
UrsulaV recently posted..Bumper Crop
Hi Ursula, Hopefully your single visiting Pipevine Swallowtail is a female looking to lay eggs. What a treat it was to watch the entire life cycle. Enjoy!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
What a wonderfully inspiring post! We have a huge vine at the nursery I work at and I will examine it more closely more often now! There is a customer who came in many times last fall as her vine was hit by frost early but ours was not and she still had caterpillars who needed to eat. She cut pieces of vine for them until they turned into chrysalis’ and hopefully they all hatched well this spring. Thanks for the informative post!
Diane St John recently posted..Our Growing Backyard Nature Habitat
Hi Diane, how cool to have a vigorous vine where you work. Definitely try to take a “Caterpillar break” every day — get under the vine and look up. The caterpillars love to hide under the leaves. Happy hunting.
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
Pat you give me hope as I await more monarchs and swallowtails. The nectar and hosts plants are in the garden for many butterflies but we are practicing patience now…how wonderful to hear it will happen. Now I will have to add this vine for these lovely swallowtails!
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Perfection
Hi Donna, Yes, definitely this is one more fun host plant to add to the mix to lure in these stunning butterflies. Good luck and may they find your garden when you do.
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
I planted a spice bush last year and this year I have seen my first spice bush swallowtail and the poor thing is loading my spice bush and I don’t think it can support one larva to adulthood. I have to plant another one than I can try to raise them as I am trying to do with monarchs for the second time..Michelle
Rambling Woods recently posted..Shadow Shot~Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) Damselfly
Hi Michelle, In our area Spicebush Swallowtails also lay their eggs on Sassafras trees. Maybe you can transfer caterpillars to some nearby Sassafras trees. Good luck!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
Thanks Pat..our woods are mostly ash and maple..not sure if we have a sassafras tree. I will have to go look at what it looks like.
Rambling Woods recently posted..Shadow Shot~Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) Damselfly
Fabulous sharing of the metamorphosis Pat! Your excitement is contagious and so appreciated. I have yet to know this beautiful creature. Thanks so for the education.
Carol Duke recently posted..Mid July Garden Walkabout Warm To Cool Temperature in Color
Hi Carol, THANKS! Ours continue to entertain. This week several different females have laid more eggs. Today a male zoomed around the garden. Their flight is very fast. It’s been delightful to become more familiar with them, with their regular appearances. The Massachusetts Butterfly Club (a chapter of the North American Butterfly Association) runs field trips. Might be some fun folks to connect with up your way.
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
Congratulations Pat.. Wonderful!
Thanks a bunch. Feel like a proud parent!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
I read this Pipevine piece from start to finish. I can imagine the joy and satisfaction that all of your effort produced. During my 12 years of actively photographing them, I have had the pleasure of seeing just a handful of individuals. I look forward to establishing a new garden in the next 12 months (we just moved). May I contact you for help re: Pipevine swallowtails?
Jeff Zablow
Pittsburgh
wingedbeauty.com
Hi Jeff,
As an active photographer you will find that there’s nothing better to lure in butterflies (and other pollinators) than a butterfly garden full of native nectar plants and caterpillar plants. I’ve written an article about “How to Create a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden” (that includes a list of recommended nectar plants) that you might find very helpful. You can find it on NJ Audubon’s website at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionBackyardHabitat/CreateaGarden.aspx
Give it a read. A garden doesn’t take long at all to create. Hopefully you have some nurseries in your area that specialize in native plants. Good luck!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
Hi Pat,
Last year we planted a large Hackberry(Celtis occidentalis) because we wanted a large tree in the particular area. Also we wanted food for the birds and hopefully a place for butterflies to find a home. Can I ‘assume’ that I will have the same luck with a large Hackberry that I would have with the Dwarf Hackberry(Celtis tennuifolia)?
Hi Kevin, Dwarf (or Georgia) Hackberry is the native hackberry tree in southern New Jersey in our dry, sandy soils. It even grows lushly in dunes. Its common name is hugely misleading, since there is nothing dwarf about it. I’ve seen some that several people with joined hands couldn’t get their arms around. The Common Hackberry that you planted is more of a floodplain plant and does not do well here at all. YES, YES, YES, plant it, a Hackberry tree, and many birds will feast on the berries and a wealth of butterflies will lay their eggs on it to create the next generation. Just you wait, I promise!
Pat Sutton recently posted..Red Admiral MEGA Migration, May 2012
How exciting for you and it is nice that you shared your success with us. Of course, I would like a vine! Perhaps someone has an extra one. Gaylord