Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I bought a swallow tail vine at a plant sale. Does anyone have one and could tell me about it?

It is drying around the edges and generally looks bad. I bought it at a Master Gardener sale and it was in the trial garden so they didn't know anything about it and I have nothing on internet search.

I bought a swallow tail vine at a plant sale. Does anyone have one and could tell me about it?
I am not sure about this, but it might be a Dutchman's pipe vine, which is food for the black swallowtail caterpillar. They are huge black and red caterpillars that turn into huge, beautiful butterflies, which is why I grow it.. I have one, or should I say many, because they spread by underground runners and tend to come up everywhere, but they are easy to pull out. It has a weird pipe-shaped flower, kind of purpley-brown spotted. It is really easy to grow, gets quite large, and needs something to climb on. I have it on a fence. I cut it back some in the winter so it doesn't get out of hand.
Reply:Hi there,



I don't think that is the true name of the plant. But it is probably a plant that "swallowtail butterflies" are drawn to during the blooming time.



I suggest you search for "vine" plants' photos and look at the leaves in the pictures to match to your vine.



By the way, we are all going into winter. Perhaps your vine is closing down for the cold weather.


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