Plant Ponder: Swallowtail Edition

The "butterfly plant" as a paper sculpture. Sharing a new template too!

How delightful is this plant? Entirely deserving of a paper sculpture in her honor! In today’s episode, I revisit and remake a plant from my book, with slight variations in leaf shape, color, and “painted” details.

Nature’s creation is depicted below, alongside my paper version. The sculptures aren’t intended to be exact replicas of these discoveries; that’s not the aim. Instead, I focus on the unique “spirit” of each plant. It’s as if I squint at a plant and identify the most essential attributes based on what stands out to me from my blurry vision. I appreciate how, with paper, we can capture its character without needing the perfection of every marker, cut, or paint stroke.

Christia obcordata: nature’s creation (left). my paper version (right)

This charming plant has a few names: Christia obcordata, butterfly plant, and swallowtail plant. The delicate leaves are supported by surprisingly thin stems that allow the foliage to flutter in the breeze — hence the name "butterfly plant." Hi…