What happens to old swan plants?

trade4us2, Nov 4, 7:02pm
Usually mine fall over when they are 4 metres high. But one has not. It still has leaves and flowers on it. The caterpillars seem to prefer young plants.

cantabman1, Nov 5, 1:10am
Just like all of life, they have a used by date. If the frosts and disease don't kill them, time does.
Just come and see me and buy a new season one or two :-]

docsportello, Nov 5, 3:13am
They turn back into ugly ducklings.

morticia, Nov 5, 4:14am
Mine usually turn their toes up in the 3rd or 4th year, but years ago one of my kids went to a daycare with a huge one in the garden that was years and years old. I'd like an old faithful like that in the garden.

omamari, Nov 5, 4:15am
They go down the Swanee

samanya, Nov 5, 8:01am
I'd love mine to get large & past one season, but frosts get them.
I end up buying a few each year, although I tried planting a packet of seed early this spring & not one came up.

trade4us2, Nov 5, 11:09am
I have about 30 swan plants. The ones up on the hill tend to blow over when they are big. We don't have frosts.

cleggyboy, Nov 6, 8:10am
The wood in an old dead tree is so hard one could make a chisel out of it. I kept some branches off one of my trees in case I wanted some extremely hard wood.

bingoz, Nov 9, 10:53pm
My older swan plants are doing great. The caterpillars are hatching thick an fast. I also have a lot of self sown plants, I have transplanted a couple, they sulk for 2/3 day,, just starting to perk up now

trade4us2, Nov 10, 3:50am
There are three chrysalises on the big tree. I spray any wasps hanging around so there's only about one wasp per week.

mizp, Feb 15, 9:02pm
I had 10 trays of Swan Plant seedlings coming along nicely - and then the bugs got them and I lost the lot. Rotten waste of money and no food for the cats this year.