Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Vine
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Margin: Entire
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Size Notes: 6 inches or less.
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Purple , Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: TX
USDA Native Status: L48(I)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Conditions Comments: Swanflower is a trailing grass mimic, presumably to evade female Pipevine swallowtail butterflies looking for a good place to lay their eggs. The caterpillars are black or orange and fleshy, often easier to spot than their host plants. Swanflower has intriguing tubular shaped flowers that look like small orchids.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Pipevine swallowtail

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Aristolochia erecta is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0125 Collected July 10, 1991 in Bexar County by Lottie Millsaps

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Aristolochia erecta in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Aristolochia erecta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Aristolochia erecta