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First pipevine bloom
by
Douglas Hunt
(IC: professional)
I had to show off the first bloom from the pipevine I planted little more than a month ago. Judging by the size of the flower (this one is 6 by 7 inches!), I believe this is Aristolochia gigantea. One look should tell you where this plant gets its other common name, calico flower. (Actually, the flower is supposed to look like rotting meat to a pollinator. Isn't that a lovely thought?)
Yes, I do know that non-native Aristolochia species are considered invasive in Florida. But this plant is also an important larval source for the pipevine swallowtail. At the nursery where I purchased it, one of the clerks told me her pipevine had been defoliated three times in one season by swallowtail caterpillars. That is exactly what I am hoping will happen. Eating the pipevine makes the swallowtails poisonous, so their predators avoid them. Isn't nature wonderful?
Yes, I do know that non-native Aristolochia species are considered invasive in Florida. But this plant is also an important larval source for the pipevine swallowtail. At the nursery where I purchased it, one of the clerks told me her pipevine had been defoliated three times in one season by swallowtail caterpillars. That is exactly what I am hoping will happen. Eating the pipevine makes the swallowtails poisonous, so their predators avoid them. Isn't nature wonderful?
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Published November 20th, 2013 7:11 AM
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3 of 53 comments
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Rusty Rose on Nov 21, 2013This is really interesting. I would like to try it. I am co-owner of a Flower shop in Pittsboro Indiana and our customers would flip! Does it have a fragrance? Can it be grown indoors?
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Carolyn Freeman C on Feb 04, 2014Wow
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