Herman Osbahr

She had been a member of a garden club in another town, to which my grandfather would drive her to attend each month. She managed to have the most beautiful yard with flowers no one else in town grew. Her love for flowers, shrubs, vines and trees instilled the love of gardening in me, for which I am eternally thankful.

I remember her arbor was covered with an old Wisteria that bloomed profusely and smelled like a rare perfume. The honeybees swarmed wildly around the arbor, going from one blossom to the other.

Ah, the wonderful memories of childhood!

San Marcos, Texas

Q: I just purchased two Dutchman's Pipes to create a visual screen along a chain link fence. Will this plant spread laterally when there is nothing else to climb? Also, how do a protect it from Ontario winters (Zone 5).

A: Yes. It will go a little lateral and just keep climbing.

It, of course, will die back for the winter months, but mulch it well. The snow should also give some insulation. You can try and take a cutting softwood), root cuttings and division. Also, collect the seeds. They may be stratified as soon as ripe or kept in the refrigerator (cool dry place) for about a year.

Q: Just "hit" your site from a search for "Dutchman's pipe" on Yahoo - great info. thanks!!

I'm up in Ontario, Canada and we've just moved into an old farmhouse that has a tremendous "Dutchman's pipe" vine growing along the side of the house. The stalks on this thing are ancient! I experienced the large heart shape leaves in August, but no flowers.

In speaking with the recent owners, I am told this darn thing has not bloomed in the 50 yrs the wife has resided here!

We've sparsely trimmed the dead vines and new growth is appearing, so it is a healthy plant.

I'm wondering about fertilizer? We have a cattle farm, would manure work well? Perhaps the soil needs some regeneration? Can you offer any tips - although I'd just learned the flowers smell and attract flies, I'd be forever grateful to get this thing in bloom!

A: Yes, manure would be very good for your Dutchman's pipe. However, I would use it as a 'tea' place some patotties in an old cloth sack (pillow-case or burlap sack) and then in a bucket of water for a couple of days. This will saturate the water with some good fertilizer.

Then add once again the amount of water you are working with. Use this to fertilize your vine.

It is better to use a weak version of the tea as to not burn the roots of the plant.

You probably could top dress the plant area with some composted material.

Commercial fertilizers with a high middle number is what helps bring on the blooms, that too might work.

Reader Comment: Good Day I have a beautiful Dutchman's Pipe. I have hundreds of butterflies, (Polydamas) they never stop laying eggs. I also have many seed pods. I have read many time of the foul odor they give off. I too have smelled this odor on other Dutchman's Pipes, but not mine. My flowers smell of lemons. It is very pleasant to set under my arbor when the plant is in full bloom. It blooms often. Have a nice day.

Q: We live in North Central Iowa. Could you suggest a resource where we could obtain Dutchmen's pipe flower vine / Dutchmen's breeches / lady's slipper (plants or seeds) to start one (some)? We are also interested in locating a Dutchmen's Breeches plant and a Lady's Slipper plant.

A: I can give you a reference of :

Possibility:

A: Seed pods should be harvested when they are mature. This is when the pod is probably brown and crunchy in form. It may start to open on its own to disperse the seeds. . In the A-Z reference it suggests one should sow the seed of hardy species at 55-61 degrees F. and more tender species at 70-75 degrees F. as soon as the seed is ripe or in the spring. Other ways to propagate this plant is to take cuttings of softwood in early spring, if it is a hardy species take cuttings in mid-summer. You can divide the plant in the early spring or take root cuttings thru for the winter.

1. How far a distance would you say the smell would travel? The arch is about 30 ft from our deck.

2. Is the smell from the leaves? Or only the flowers? If the latter, how long is it in bloom?

3. I have also heard they attract flies. This could be a good thing, as it would keep them away from the deck. However, does it attract flied to the extent that someone walking through the arch would be walking through a bunch of flies?

4. If I do plant it and then hate it, is it really difficult to get rid of?

5. Can it survive in clay soil?

A: The smell of the Dutchman's pipe will depend on the gentle winds and air movement. I could not guess how far the scent will travel.

I do not believe the smell is from the leaves. However, some Dutchman's pipe have a very unpleasant smell.

Blooms last for a very long time. I originally saw this plant grown on a butterfly farm, where this potted plant material was moved in and out of the cages for the butterflies to lay their eggs.

Yes, they do attract flies because of their scent.

It should not be difficult to get rid of it if you decide you don't like it. Most varieties grow rapidly and will cover an arbor in one complete season.......

The soil requirement is a fertile one, I would add a lot of organic material to the clay soil because it does require good drainage and clay does not provide that.. Permalite is a commercial product you might find in your local stores. I also recommended you fertilize once a month.