Reaching out

Last year I planted pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) in our back yard.  My goal was to attract the fabulously beautiful but rarely-seen (at our latitude) Pipevine Swallowtail to the garden, hopefully to deposit eggs on the pipevine. 

In the Summer 2001 issue of American Butterflies, an article called “The Pipe-dream Project” suggests that planting pipevines could help in increasing the distribution and abundance of this species, in a similar manner in which Bluebird houses have aided that species. Since the host plants do not grow here naturally, plantings of acceptable cultivated varieties of pipevines might be useful. (via)

Our local garden supply company had only three plants in stock; I obtained two of them, placed them in a sheltered location on the west side of tall arborvitae, and put an inexpensive trellis behind them.   The plants thrived during the summer and covered the 6-foot trellis; for the winter I just covered the base with mulch and hoped for the best.  To my delight the vine survived our winter.  This morning as I walked by to work in the woods, I noticed the vines were reaching out, looking for new purchase on some structure.

Looks like I should name the plant Audrey.