VAFarmMark | Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

Another first in my pollinator garden -- pipevine swallowtail caterpillars are feeding on my 3-year-old Wooly Dutchman's Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa). So exciting! I know only a couple may make it to butterfly, but it's so nice to see the caterpillars using a plant I added just for their use.Wooly Dutchman's Pipevine is native to the SW half of Virginia, but not to the Northern Shenandoah Valley. plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aristolochia-tomentosa/The caterpillars most likely normally eat Virginia Snakeroot or Virginia Dutchmans Pipevine in our area, which is in the same family and is native to almost all of Virginia.plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aristolochia-serpentaria/common-name/virginia-snakeroot/Pipevine Swallowtail: entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/pipevine_swallowtail.htmPictured: Caterpillars yesterday; Adult in 2019 on Penstemon digitalis - EMG Stacey ... See MoreSee Less