Pipevine question

[Anne Kilmer]

Marty Germain wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> We planted a pipevine plant, which attracted numerous pipevine butterflies
> this summer and fall.  The caterpillars have long since gone to cocoon and
> hatched. Can we cut back the pipevine plant, without hurting it, since it
> spread far further than we anticipated?  We live in the Clearwater, FL area.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Marty
> 
>

That kind of depends on how far you anticipated that it would spread. 
Pipevines (Aristolochia spp.) need to be quite large, cascading over 
fence or trellis or wrestling with a big tree. If you thought it was 
going to be a cute and biddable little vine, you need to rethink your 
garden design.
That said, the plant has no objection to reasonable pruning. Here, the 
Polydamas swallowtail eats pipevine greedily, and can defoliate quite a 
large plant. I don't know whether the pipevine swallowtail is as eager 
an eater; perhaps my colleagues can tell us.
I've been wondering whether there is an overlap between the spreading 
territory of the Polydamas and the pipevine swallowtail's territory; I'd 
reckon that around Central Florida you'd have both kinds of butterfly by 
now.
By the way, we prefer to call the pupal stage of a butterfly the 
chrysalis; a cocoon is a sleeping bag woven by a moth larva. Just so you 
know.
Cheers
Anne Kilmer
South Florida



 
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