This beautiful zebra swallowtail was just enthralled by the dirt in this pot. I have started some young pawpaw trees for him to lay eggs on. This is the American painted lady caterpillar. They are hatching on the helichrysum planted for them. This is one of the pipevines starting to bloom their peculiar blooms. Hoping to attract the pipevine swallowtail with this.
The Zebra Swallowtail doesn't range quite this far west, darn it, so I have never seen one except in my book. She is gorgeous. The Pipevine does range over the whole US but I don't have anything in the yard they are interested in. I must correct that ASAP. :-D Thanks for the beautiful pictures Bethie
That Zebra Swallowtail is beautiful, although that caterpillar kind of gives me the creeps! Funny how something that ugly grows into something so beautiful. That Pipevine bloom is very interesting...I've never seen anything like it.
What an interesting bloom on the pipevine. Don't know if I have ever seen them offered at garden centers here but I will be on the lookout from now on, that is a pretty cool plant.
I've never seen a zebra swallowtail butterfly or a pipevine Bethie but how I wish I could have both in my garden. The bloom on your vine is very unusual and the colour is such a rich wine red. :-D
Another name for that plant is Dutchman's pipe. I have a really hard time getting them for my butterfly enthusiests and people who like unusual plants...but when I do get them in everyone buys them. They are SO unusual looking! The blooms are huge too, sometimes 10 or so inches across. Bethie? Does yours winter over in Tenn? They don't here...we have to bring them inside in zone 7.
Chitweed, it doesn't winter over here at all. My house will too cold for it so I may offer the nursery I got it from to have it back if they want it. We're friends with the owner. I have native pipevine that IS hardy here. It's not blooming yet. They are interesting plants. 8)
