Hi Elizabeth, The little pipevine cats are piggies, for certain! Yes, this is the same little wild A variegata plant I found on that construction acreage while searching for milkweed to feed my first ever Monarch cats. I was so new to butterfly gardening, I didn't even know what I'd come across, wasn't absolutely certain it was even milkweed. It was you guys, here on the butterfly forum, who ID'ed the little plant and told me how special the plant was to the community; that I should attempt to save it before the construction equipment killed it. Still waiting on a seed pod but always have the pleasure of enjoying the lovely blooms each spring. I have one Aristolochia macrophylla vine and it is finally beginning to climb. For me, it's been a really slow grower but it might be the planting site. I have it near a large Oak. I've seen photos of it growing in what looks like at least half day sun. Maybe the dappled light it gets here isn't enough. Mary

Hi Peggy, I grow lots of A. Fimbriata here in my part of Texas. I am a west of Dallas/Fort Worth. My zone class. is 7b/8a. My fimbriata does very well. After the first frost I rake leaves over the top of them. So I wouldn't think you will have any problems with them coming back.The only problem is that the vines don't get very large so you have to grow lots of it to sustain the pipevine's. It took several years before mine was established enough for the cats. All told I have around 50 plants in different area's and it is never enough. Last year I added several of the tometosa and that has helped alot as far as providing enough food. It has been my experience that they like the fimbriata best but when thats depleted they will move to the tomentosa. Believe me when I say they will find every tiny bit of pipevine growing. I have watched the cats travel around my yard looking for more. This year I had the pipevines earlier than ever, I never even got to see flowers much less seed. I noticed a few days ago my pipevine had started coming back out after the last wave of cats, I actually thought maybe I would get flowers and some seed but alas yesterday a momma was laying her eggs all over them. I really can't complain, that's what it's growing for. Hope

It's a lousy day weather-wise today so I did the last of my winter/spring sowing: Baby Snapdragon (Toadflax)'Northern Lights' Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Ace of Spades' Poppy, White Double Poppy, Ruffle Mixed Zinnia hybrid 'Magellan Mix' Zinnia 'Dreamland Rose' Tahoka Daisy (Machaeranthera tanacetif) Blue Pimpernell (Anagallis monelii) Candytuft, mix (Iberis umbellata) Cosmos 'Ladybird Mix' Convolvulus 'Rainbow Flash' Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) Flax, Scarlet (Linum grandiflorum rubrum) Sunflower, dwarf 'Yellow Spray' Four O'Clock, yellow Thunbergia 'Salmon Shades' Nasturtium, Tall Trailing Balsam Shoofly Plant, blue (Apple of Peru) Cosmos 'Bright Lights' I see that the container count deadline is 8:00 am eastern tomorrow. I read a thread where Ron said that if you are going to be sowing after the deadline: "Just figure out how many you will be sowing and add them to the count before May 1st". Susan

Gary, I've had my Indian Pinks for about 6 years now, but I don't recall them taking that long to establish. They bloomed the first year I planted them from very small bare-root plants. They are truly easy, Chandra, if you want an easy plant that you can virtually ignore, after the first year I'd say. I do absolutely nothing to mine. Even in a drought year it will die back, but return the following year. The hummers love it, too. It blooms generally in late spring to early summer, and sometimes reblooms in late summer to early fall. I think it is one of the prettiest native wildflowers of any of them. The blooms remind me of tropical flowers. Nothing bothers it - insect pests, bugs, disease, whatever. It is both deer and rabbit resistant, which means they don't prefer it, but might eat it if other food is not readily available. Operation Rubythroat lists it as a top ten hummingbird plant. I love this little native, and it can be grown in shade or sun. What more could you ask of a plant? I haven't tried this, Gary, but at that other plant forum (you know which?), people say they have reseeded around - not invasively at all. I haven't had that happen with mine, yet anyway. But, they are one of those plants with seedpods that explode when they are ripe. Bagging the blossoms would help in that case. But, I don't know that I have ever seen the seed for sale, have you? I looked a little further and Easy Wildflowers states that cuttings should be taken of non-flowering stems, or before the plant blooms, and suggests 2-3 node cuttings. Don't know if the stems strike roots better that way or not, but worth trying. I would strongly recommend getting plants from Gary if you can because locally grown natives adapt much better. I visit the websites of both Easy Wildflowers and Illinois Wildflowers frequently because they have a lot of information available on the various genera and individual species of wildflower natives. I would expect this little native to get a Perennial Plant of the Year award in the future. Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Spigelia marilandica/Indian Pink