I guess congratulations are in order? Were you wanting to net off your aristolochia because it's so small right now and you wanted it to grow, unmolested by PVS cats?
What type of aristolochia do you have - a. californica?
Well, congratulations anyway!! :)
MissSherry

tee-hee-hee!
{{gwi:461516}}

Yep, A. californica...and precisely why I wanted to net it off...*sigh* Guess it will just have to take its chances after all!

What did you think of the pics? Did I do ok? (Aside from the in-message code screwup..!*grin*)

I can't see the picture on your post, just a red "X" but I could see the pictures fine on the link - they're great!
You're going to have to buy or order some more a. californica from Forest Farm! :)
Hehehehe!!
MissSherry

My pvs butterflys have been like sex manics this spring. I think I am up to around 400+ eggs. Batches have been sent to others in California and afew more are promised. I would need an acre of pipevine to feed all these.

Penny

My A.californica comes from a native plant nursery in Chico, CA...problem is, by the time I need it, theirs is coming WITH cats and the poor vines are nubs!

They call it a 'bonus' and point out that this will help the butterfly population....which is met with the statement that the problem is that the cats I HAVE need more FOOD, not more competition!!

AIGH!! :)

Any suggestions on maximizing space for vines, Miss Sherry? Maybe pots with nice wide trellises set up as screens?

I'm out of fence space!

Got any trees in your yard, Pam? They're the natural arbor. I guess you could plant some at the base of a tree, but for whatever reason, mine do much better when planted in a (slightly) raised bed than when planted directly in the ground.
Butterfly gardening always en-'tails' learning by the 'seat' of your plants!
MissSherry

Could you not also plant them in pots, e.g., big pots?

I have my tomentosas in pots right now. Large pots. I thought they might get off to a better start that way.

Susan

Mine are ALL in pots. :) Hubby thought that we could transplant my two big ones into this humongous pot that had my original passi in it.

Hey Penny, those babies are eating machines! tee-hee-hee! They are now on their third leaf...thank goodness I have three Aristolochia plants!

All you poor dears. I do wish the PVS would get a better 'hold' down here in SoCal. We have them but there isn't as much Pipevine to keep the population as high as in NoCal.

They REALLY eat a lot and fast! I was noticing this morning how much mine have grown in the past few days - amazing!
MissSherry

The good news is that the gent on the corner who has a fruit/veggie stand is organic--uses NO pesticides and likes having wildlife around. :) :) :) He grows citrus, plums, pears, apricots, apples....you name it, he's growing it.

I love it!! :)

I guess I'm going to have to look into the pot/bed/lattice/screen idea....

A lattice idea I read about years ago, was to get two 8' lengths of lattice, and put hinges on them. Nail, or fasten, some 4x4 posts about 24" long, allowing at least 18" to hang from the bottom of the trellis, on the outside corners. Dig a hole, use that fast-setting concrete and set the posts in concrete. Angle the two lattice doors about about a 30 degree angle, rather than standing them both straight and tall (the purpose of the hinges). Now, you have a very attractive, permanent trellis that will support your heavy vines. Looks like a room divider!

Susan

Great design, Susan!! I'll have to remember that. Right now though I need something portable...so I can figure out where the permanent one(s) will go....maybe cement bricks or railroad ties..?? Something I can scoot around, anyway...

I'd probably do pots then, Pam. I just wish I could say it was "too late" to net off my Aristolochia! LOL!

Susan

I put my clematis in large pots and add trellis and they do great. Pipevine is very slow to get going. Thankfully mine is double in size this year. But the cats are 5 weeks of pig eating so it goes fast. I will try to keep my "litter" at 100 or less. I need to do some counting!

Penny

I'm covering my ears. I can't hear you. Don't want to know anything about Pipevines!!! Arghhhh!!!

There was a Pipevine Swallowtail explosion at the ranch back in late February. All those little darlings that were overwintering came out in full force. There have been so many caterpillars it is unreal. Every time I drive out there I now see chrysalids on the barbed wire strands, the fence posts, tree limbs, the windmill, the deer blinds - everywhere!!! And to think those will soon emerge and the cycle continues.

Yep, have seen lots of butterfly porn out there too :o)

I know they are using a native aristolochia erecta as a food source ...but everytime I find the plant it is being eaten to the ground by caterpillars. Am wondering if there is some other larval host plant they use...doesn't seem like there'd be enough to feed them all.

Have been on a quest to grow aristolochia fimbriata and transplant it there. The caterpillars I raised love that stuff.

~ Cat

OHMG! Do you think that the Southern population explosion of PVS will send them more Northern bound for food????

You know, like the Painted Lady explosion of two years ago??

And the red banded hairstreak migration of last year?

And the fact that I spotted variegated frits mating last year in Sept, and Cloudless Sulphurs mating then too?? We also
had a mini surge of Sachem skippers here last fall. None of these species are particularly normal here in CT.

The PVS is at the edge of it's range here. Do you think there's possibility that they might get nudged a little further north here this year.

Maryann, (dreaming of a PVS population explosion in CT!!)

I'd LOVE to see a PVS explosion here in SoCal as well. Hubby was talking with a neighbor who said, "Did you wife release a really beautiful blue butterfly?" and he said, "Oh yeah! That's a Pipevine!" She said it had come through her yard and she was just amazed at its beauty.

My babies are currently busy eating away. :) Thanks, Penny!

I've been doing some research on the net and it seems that asarum canadense (wild ginger), also in the aristolochiaceae family, is an alternative plant food for the pipevine swallowtails. Has anyone ever grown this and know this to be a fact? I know it's a small plant, you'd have to have a nice large patch of it, and it may be like A. serpentaria - you'd have to have 25 plants in order to feed one pipevine swallowtail. The leaves seem to be a bit more substantial than serpentaria, though.

Susan

Ever considered that these voracious monsters :) might be Mother Nature's way of controlling the vines they eat? :)

SUCH a pity they don't lay on kudzu. Or blackberries! :)

I believe I have read that the cat's are indeed a way of controlling the weeds. However, I think A. serpentaria is close to be endangered in the NE.

Susan

Guess you guys up in the NE should plant a bunch more, eh? :) Maybe ease off on encouraging people to plant 'any' Aristolochia and go with serpentaria only..??

Had I room, I'd plant some here but neither being in the North or the East, I doubt it would help. :) :)

I got smart...last year I must have bought 30 + pipevines, and planted them everywhere....and have some still in pots (I gave one away as a prize at a BF speach I did for a garden culb yesterday)

I have not seen any PV's this year yet, and my PV's are coming up everywhere....but soon!