I do think they must be very special needs plants and so far I haven't been able to figure out what their exact needs are.
Information regarding the Swallowtail plant is very spotty and confusing. I've tried growing them at least a half dozen times over the years, with no luck. The first time I ever saw one was at a nursery when I was visiting my sister in North Georgia. They had only one really large, beautiful Christia obcordata and it had already been sold! The nursery lady there told me that the plant grew in full shade. A couple of years later when I saw them at a local garden center, I just had to buy one and I brought it home and placed it in a bright, shady location and within 3 weeks it died. A couple of years later, I read something stating that it needs a few hours of morning sun to survive; which sure isn't correct in Florida because the next time I saw one for sale I purchased it and placed it in an area where it got only a couple of hours of morning sun and within hours, it fried and the foliage looked really pitiful. I moved the pot to the screened porch but the poor plant never recovered.
I've since been told that the Swallowtail plant likes a lot of water, which could be an issue under my care since I tend to buy plants and put them somewhere and then forget to water them. I also read that they go dormant during cooler months and return when the weather warms. That would surely not work for me since I forget what's-what and end up dumping pots, thinking that whatever was in there has died.
If I ever see a Swallowtail Plant for sale again, I know that I will buy one if it's not too costly. Even if it's a short-lived plant, I still love those leaves!!
