The iridescent blue Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly looks tropical but it’s native to the East Bay hills. Its caterpillars can only survive eating the California Pipevine, which once grew in the creek beds and wild places. Since we have covered or developed most of these areas, this plant is rare. In 2019, our first known brood returned to the Oakland/Piedmont community after over 30 year. If you have the space to grow California Pipevine, please join our effort to restore the habitat for this stunning butterfly. For More Information click here.
View video about the plant/insect relationships: