In the movie "Field of Dreams" an Iowa corn farmer hears a voice that commands "if you build it, he will come" and he interprets the vision that he should plow under the corn field and build a baseball diamond for the Chicago Black Sox, which of course he does and we all know the rest of the story. This plant of the week is one of those, if you plant it, they will come stories. My first personal narrative came when I planted a sole Dutchman's pipevine in the backyard and on July 4, went out to browse around the garden and low and behold, I found caterpillars, dozens of them, all sizes, eating those large heart-shaped leaves like there was no tomorrow. Those caterpillars were of the pipevine swallowtail that I had observed visiting the garden some weeks before. What a thrill it was to know that there actually was order in the universe! What amazed me so much was that native populations of this plant were many, many miles away from my urban landscape in Lexington. Since that time I am not sure I can remember not visiting yards or nurseries and not seeing caterpillars eating pipevine leaves. This is not a showy vine in the least and of course it gets its name from the pipe shaped flowers, that are often hidden and inconspicuous, that appear in early summer. It is a rapid grower, up to 75' in some cases, given some good garden soil (it can't tolerate dry, clay soils) and full to part sun and something to climb on like a trellis, stout tree, or even along the top of a wooden fence. It is the primary plant that attract pipevine swallowtail butterflies, which consume the leaves and are then somewhat toxic to other predators because of the alkaloids contained within the leaves that the caterpillars consume. One of the really fascinating things about the flower is that the strong scent attracts insects, usually flies or gnats, and get caught in the fine hairs of the tube and are eventually released as the hairs wither, releasing the insects covered in pollen. There are three species native to Kentucky: A. macrophylla, A. serpentaria, and A. tomentosa and they are members of the birthwort family which was so named because of the medicinal properties related to aiding childbirth. This is a species that can be grown quite easily from seed. If you are looking for a fast growing species that can quickly cover a porch, this would be the ideal plant.
Love your blog but have request....could you use a larger font or perhaps it's the white on brown that is a bit difficult to read. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI'm starting seedlings soon. What can I expect from this plant the first year?
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, the seeds should have been stored at 40 for a minimum of three months. Then if you are ready to plant, soak the seeds in water for one day and place into individual containers or cells in a mulitple cell tray. It will take up to 1 to 3 months for them to germinate and place the tray where the soil will maintain a miniumum temperature of 68 and keep them out of direct sunlight - indirect light for 6 to 8 hours is okay. Then once they germinate watch them and keep moist but not wet. No need to fertilize them. When they have developed good roots they can be transplanted to larger pots and hardened off by placing outside during the day. By the end of the spring season you should have decent sized plants that can be placed in the garden. Starting this late, you might wish to keep them in larger pots until late summer to plant in the garden due to the potential for drought conditions during the summer.
ReplyDeleteI think you are correct about keeping them potted until fall. I had already considered that possibility, but wasn't sure if a late planting was appropriate. Thanks for clarifying that for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I live in Evansville, IN, so many of the plants you have discussed are appropriate for my native plant gardens. Thanks for all the great info!