Aristolochia serpentaria for Pipevine Swallowtails

16 years ago

I've got some Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot) seed to share with the forum members this fall.

Also, if it is your desire to be up and running with native host plants for the pipevine swallowtail (PVS) next spring, then you might consider obtaining a plant or two of the Aristolochia serpentaria this fall. It is a shade-loving perennial that gets about 15" tall if planted in a good rich soil.

My beds of A. serpentaria really drew in the PVS this summer in contrast to the previous two years when none visited my garden. Hmm, I wonder why they suddenly showed up this summer? Because I planted more A. serpentaria perhaps?

Anyway, contact me if you are wanting some seed or more information about this plant.

Rod Angeroth

rodangeroth@yahoo.com

402-439-5256

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Comments (10)

jwink246
16 years ago
I would love some. I have emailed you.
Jennifer
MissSherry
16 years ago
Rod, the Va. snakeroots I got from you last year have really fed the PVS cats this year! They 've been chewed to the ground numerous times, and always come back quickly, feeding still more cats. They're still in containers, but I'll be planting them in the ground soon.
MissSherry
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I raise all my butterflies outside on my front porch, Marco, but there are huge numbers of cats on my pipevines outside, raising themselves. I found a pipevine swallowtail hanging on the inside of a rocker on a rocking chair on the porch the other day - its chrysalid was on the back of the chair! This one crawled as a caterpillar from the vines in my garden to pupate. Pipevine swallowtails eat aristolochia, which apparently makes them as distasteful to predators as the books say, because they're one caterpillar that never gets touched! Pipevine swallowtails are battus philenor - I LOVE them! I don't know the answer about zebra longwings and gulf fritillaries overwintering. Don't you live in an apartment? Three GF caterpillars overwintered here for the first time this year, but it was because they were on p. caerulea, which is real cold hardy, and it kept leaves all winter. They apparently hid in the leaves, because I didn't see them until it was almost spring, and they must have either gone into some sort of suspended state on the vines or eaten just little bits at the time over the winter. We had a mild winter, but we did have a few light freezes, no colder than 30 degrees, as I recall. I had been wanting to overwinter a GF as a chrysalid, thinking that was the way to go, but the chrysalids always turned black and died. I never dreamed they'd overwinter as cats! I've never raised any zebra longwings, but I'm guessing the situation is the same, except that zebras are probably more cold sensitive than GFs. I wish I could raise some! MissSherry
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I disagree with the Asarum canadense as a host for PVS. It has by no means been our experience that they feed on ginger. My husband is an entomologist hobbyist, and we planted Aristolochia macrophylla late 2005 to attract PVS. We knew of some at a nursery about 30 miles from our house. We were unsuccessful the first year, so bought A. clematis from Bob Stewart @ Arrowhead Alpines Nursery in Michigan, who is very knowledgeable in entomology. He stated they like the A. clematis best, so we bought one. But, of course, it FROZE in the 2007 Easter freeze that wracked most of the Midwest and down to Georgia. Later that year we were back in Michigan nursery hopping and bought yet another one. They were amazed that we had lost such a sturdy plant (come to find out it came back at the end of the season). We waited and waited and no PVS. So, we got desperate in 2010 and decided to see if we could purchase chrysalis online. Nope. Then we started networking every potential lead, including Purdue Entomology department and people in high places at Dow who know people. They must be illegal to transport, apparently. Then in June 2010, the PVS "munchers" showed up on our now very large Dutchman's Pipe Vine A. macrophylla which covered a 3 panel trellis to hide the A/C unit. So, we also checked the A. clematis growing about 250' away, and they showed up in a few days. Now, we have nearly 4 acres and have tons of native American Ginger scattered all over, but no munchers ever showed up on that abundant plant. But by the end of the summer, we literally had several hundred munchers on the A. clematis (which I would advise NEVER plant in the ground, as it is extremely invasive--I've moved mine to very large containers) The A. clematis patch, which was extensive and invasive, was eaten to stubs by the end of summer and the A. macrophylla was barely touched. We had PVS colliding with us wherever we were working in the garden-- they were as thick as thieves! But they never touched the ginger. I even had to move a few dozen munchers from the stubs of the clematis to the macrophylla because they so overpopulated and starved themselves, but they dropped off as if I had fed them poison! They prefer the A. clematis to the A. macrophylla like I prefer filet mignon to beef jerky! Now, this year, we have NONE. I wonder if it was the 60 degree New Year's Day we had and they came out too early??? We are seeing very few of all our favorite butterflies, and only a rare catalpa worm as well.
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Congratulations, Jeff! They're my favorite cat to raise. They're so comical and I love to hear them eat. I waited several years before I got some PVST here, but I was glad that they waited awhile because I would never have had enough pipevine the first couple years to feed very many cats. Last year after I released them, they mated and laid eggs for yet another generation here, but this year after I raised them and released them, those ingrates left never to be seen again. Ha. I think I'm happy with one "brood" a year though. Even though I have a lot of pipevine, 200+ cats last year put a pretty big dent in it! Cathy
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Actually, what I find with butterflies and host plants is that they can change host from year to year--their preferences will change. I think they do this so that the predators don't get used to finding them on the same plant. I try to provide several hosts for the same butterfly. For example, for the Black Swallowtail, I plant both green and bronze fennel, parsley, dill, and rue. I also research their nectar preferences and try to add some of those too. I've been told, but haven't seen this: The A. serpentaria grows in abundance in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The Pipevine Swallowtails can be found crawling around the ground from cluster to cluster since I think they need several of this species to complete their cycle. I am posting the USGS Map Search for Butterflies and Moths. Just select your state, then a butterfly species, you can see its host and nectar preferences, plus habitat. Habitat is very important. Here is a link that might be useful: USGS Butterflies Map Search for Butterflies and Moths
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west_texas_peg
16 years ago
If you still have seeds, I would love to have some. I recently received Aristolochia fimbriata seeds which some suggested I go ahead and direct sow now. I have never grown either of these plants so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Peggy
linda_centralokzn6
16 years ago
I just got a wonderful shipment of A. serpentaria seeds and dried roots, just full of lush roots. My plants were ate to the ground numerous times this summer, and rebounded.

I highly recommend Rod's plants and seeds. He is a very honest and generous man. You will be very pleased with your order, if you have a filtered light area in rich amended soil for these plants.

They do love Miss Sherry's famous chicken manure. :)
ghoghunter
16 years ago
I would love some too. I'll send you an e-mail!
Joann
cass_fritillary
16 years ago
Can anyone tell me how this plant does in zone 8? I live just north of dallas and am trying to plant mostly natives and just about anything to attract butterflies to my garden. I am really interested in attracting the PVS and am curious how big the a. serpentaria gets in my region.

I have tried to get a. tomentosa and a. fimbriata but all my local nurseries are sold out or don't carry it at all. I didn't realize how hard this stuff was to find.
linda_centralokzn6
16 years ago
Cass, I can't really speak for Zone 8. But, from experience, the serpentaria does not get very large, and the leaves are quite tender, making it beneficial for the younger cats. It would take "mega" amounts of it to feed an entire colony. I tend to supplement the tomentosa and clematitis with the serpentaria. I have not tried the fimbriata, but I hear that it does quite well in Texas.

Hopefully, someone from Texas will be of more help. It will take alot of plants of whatever you choose, as they tend to lay lots of eggs, and eat alot. But, the rewards are just heaven!!! They are most the most beautiful butterfly, and the caterpillars are just too cute.

I hear your pain. Aristolochia is hard to find. I've had to mail order all of mine, and it is not cheap. And, the plants are usually quite small. It is taken me 3 years for my plants to get established enough to have a colony all summer.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I commend you for your interest in native plants. I have started planting more native plants. They just seem to do much better.

Keep us posted.

For those of you interested in the seeds, I have had excellent luck with germination with refrigerating the seeds with a lil moisture until about February, and then Wintersowing them in pots inside plastic bags with slits. My germination was much better than planting the seeds in the ground. You may want to try sowing some in the ground, and some in pots, and see what works better for you. :)
butterflymomok
16 years ago
Cass,

I can get you started with Tomentosa. I have some that I have harvested that I keep in small pots until they are established. I have a plant I could send to you. I harvest the runners from some wild growing Tomentosa that gets constantly mowed down by the county.

This Tomentosa is not growing in a wild area per se, it grows on the right of way bordering my neighborhood. Just wanted to make that clear to anyone that might think I was going out in the wild and digging up the plants!

I only take the runners so the original plants are still growing.

You can email me and send me your address. These are very tiny plants, but they have grown roots and put on new growth.

OKSandy
ghoghunter
16 years ago
Rod I got my seeds this week! Thanks very much. I'm going to winter sow mine and see how they do!
Joann
kek19
16 years ago
I just sent you an e-mail, not sure if this offer still stands or not.

Aristolochia serpentaria for Pipevine Swallowtails

Comments (10)

jwink246

MissSherry

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