Growing California Dutchman's Pipe Plant

Hardiness and Characteristics

• California Dutchman’s pipe grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Its unusual purple and white flowers are shaped like a pipe. They are less than 1/2 inch long when they open but continue to grow to 1 to 1 1/2 inches long before they fade. The flowers appear on the vine before its foliage emerges. This vine’s stems grow to a length of 10 to 20 feet. The stems may be left to grow on the ground as a ground cover plant or trained to grow on a support structure. Trellises, trees, fences and arbors can be used to support these vines. They do not harm the trees they grow on.

Soil, Sun and Planting

• California Dutchman’s pipe grows well in most types of soil as long as it drains well. It grows more vigorously in fertile soil but also grows well in sandy soil. Partial shade, dappled shade or full shade are fine for this vine. Plant the vine 1 1/2 feet from the support structure at a 45-degree angle toward the structure so the vine will naturally grow toward it. Tie the stems to the support structure loosely with plastic-coated twist-ties or twine when they are long enough to reach it. They will wind around the structure and climb naturally after they are attached.

Water and Mulch

• Maintain uniformly moist soil for California Dutchman’s pipe vines for the first year after planting. Established plants can survive periods of drought but they are slow to get established. Water them generously every two to four weeks from the second year on. A 2- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch spread over the root zone will help retain moisture in the soil but the mulch should be kept a few inches away from the stems. Pruning is not generally necessary but the vines can be pruned back in the winter to control their size.

Diseases, Insects and Pests

• California Dutchman’s pipe vines are not susceptible to any serious plant diseases or insect attacks but they are host plants for pipevine swallowtail butterflies (Battus philenor). The butterflies lay tiny red eggs on the vine's fresh, new growth tips. When they hatch, the caterpillars eat the new growth then move on to more mature leaves. They eat only a small part of a leaf before moving on to the next. The caterpillars may damage a lot of leaves slightly, but will damage few severely. They also feed on the green, oblong fruits produced by the vines after they bloom. You can remove the eggs, but the caterpillars do not cause serious harm to the plants.

  Fungus gnats are beneficial insects for California Dutchman’s pipe vines. The gnats are briefly trapped in the flowers until they become coated with pollen. After they escape, they move on to other flowers to complete the pollination process.