White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe

Scientific name: Aristolochia fimbriata

School Related Observations:

What will students see and experience?

• When does it flower? June – September. Each bloom only lasts 24 hours.

• Is it deciduous or evergreen? Deciduous

• Is this plant a sensory plant? Yes, especially for sight and pollinator interaction.

• What pollinators are attracted to this plant? Small flies like fungus gnats and occasionally small beetles. White-veined Dutchman’s pipe has a unique pollination strategy called trap pollination. Small flies are attracted to the faint odor of decaying organic matter, and the tubular shaped flower traps the insect inside. While inside, the pollinator picks up or deposits pollen and then they are released.

  
  

Educational Outcomes:

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Things to Consider Before Planting Four-nerve Daisy:

1. Size: 6 inches tall, 2 feet wide

2. Toxicity: Highly Toxic. Grown for ornamental purpose, no part of this plant should be ingested. Use caution when handling plant.

3. Location: Plant in a location that receives morning sun with afternoon shade and well-draining soil. Give at least 3 feet spacing

4. Invasiveness: Non-invasive

5. Heat Tolerance: High

6. Planting time: Spring after last frost or fall.

Special Notes: The pipevine swallowtail butterfly uses the plant as a food source. The caterpillars will strip the above-ground growth of the plant, and the adult butterflies will return to lay more eggs. The trailing form looks beautiful in hanging baskets.

We keep White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe in caged pots to protect them from being overconsumed.

White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe seeds

White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe seedlings

Propagating White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe

White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe

White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe with seed pods

A Pipevine Swallowtail laying eggs on White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe

Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillars eating the White-Veined Dutchman’s Pipe