Aristolochia

( ar - rist - oh - LOH - kee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Aristolochia is a genus of evergreen and deciduous vines that need regular to ample water. These plants are commonly known as Dutchman's Pipe, Pipevine, and Birthwort, and sunlight needs vary by species. They are vigorous, twining vines that have very interesting flowers. They can take hard pruning, and will return the next growing season with foliage and blooms. Take care when planting these vines in the landscape, as plant parts are toxic to the kidneys and are carcinogenic; ingestion can cause irreversible kidney failure.

Aristolochia Species and Varietals

The genus Aristolochia includes over 500 species, and is the type species member of the plant family Aristolochiaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words meaning best (aristos) and childbirth (locheia), referencing the flower bud's resemblance to a human fetus. Birthwort growing zones vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Aristolochia arborea
Native to Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, this species produces dark red flowers on a small tree and prefers wet, tropical climates.

Aristolochia baetica (Andalusian Dutchman's Pipe, Pipe Vine)
Native to North Africa and the southern Iberian Peninsula, this species produces long reddish-brown tubular flowers on an evergreen vine.

Aristolochia bracteolata (Worm Killer)
This unpleasant-smelling prostrate vine with greyish-green leaves is found on riverbanks, in bushlands, and within desert grasslands in its native range from northern Africa over through India. 

Aristolochia californica (California Dutchman's Pipe, California Pipevine)
This deciduous vine grows best in zones 5-10 and 14-24, and is native to the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada Foothills of Northern California. It can cover an 8x10 screen or fence with a little training, or send out climbers 10-15 feet long onto nearby shrubs or trees (these vines do not harm other plants), and can also make a small-scale groundcover. Flowers bloom before leaf-out in winter or early spring. Flowers are reddish-purple and cream and have an unpleasant scent. Leaves are bright green and heart-shaped. Not picky about soil, but does best in partial shade (full sun if in a coastal garden).

Aristolochia cauliflora
Native to Ecuador and Peru, this species grows in wet tropical climates, and produces dark green leaves with white veining. 

Aristolochia chilensis (Fox Ears)
This native of Chile is known locally as 'Oreja de Zorro', and is a perennial vine that produces yellow to brown-purple flowers with white hairs on their interior surfaces. 

Aristolochia clematitis (European Birthwort)
Native to Europe, this species of Birthwort produces small pale yellow tubular flowers. Leaves are true green and heart-shaped.

Aristolochia contorta (Northern Pipevine, Birthwort, Bunge)
These vines are native to forests, fields, and mountains in Japan, Korea, and China. They have heart-shaped leaves and produce small yellow flowers in springtime.

Aristolochia didyma (Yawar Panga)
This species is native to South America, and is has powerful emetic properties, used as a purgative in the days before an Ayahuasca session.

Aristolochia fimbriata
This species produces interesting pipe-shaped flowers with throats that are white on the exterior and red with yellow to cream veining at the mouths. Hairs emanate from the outer lips of the flowers.

Aristolochia gibertii
This species is native to Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and produces cream colored, elongated flowers with dark reddish-purple veining and a separated pipe mouth. 

Aristolochia gigantea (Brazilian Dutchman's Pipe, Giant Pelican Flower, Giant Pipevine)
This ornamental vine is native to Brazil and has very fragrant flowers. This is a warm-weather loving species and cannot tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Flowers are red to deep maroon and have yellow veining, and the vine reaches 3-6 feet wide and 15-20 feet long at maturity.

Aristolochia grandiflora (Pelican Flower)
These plants produce flowers that emit a fragrance similar to rotting meat in order to attract their main pollinators, flies. Pelican Flower is native to the Caribbean and Central America, and produces one of the world's largest flowers.

Artistolochia indica (Garudakkodi, Eswaramooli, Sapsada)
This vine loves to climb trees in its native range of Southern India and Sri Lanka. It has thick foliage, and is commonly found on forest floor or rocky hillsides. Flowers in this species are much smaller than in others, and they are light yellow to cream-colored with deep red mouths.

Aristolochia labiata (Mottled Dutchman's Pipe, Rooster Flower)
This Brazilian native vining plant produces impressively large, mottled flowers in white/cream and dark red to maroon. These plants can reach between 4 and 8 feet tall, and have light green, glossy foliage.

Aristolochia lindneri
Native to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, this species of Dutchman's Pipe produces long, slender flowers with wide red lips that have yellow veining. Leaves are somewhat leathery, light green, and smaller than they are in other species.

Aristolochia littoralis (Calico Flower, Elegant Dutchman's Pipe)
This climbing vine reaches just under 15 feet in length, and has slender, bright green stems. Leaves are green and glossy, and flowers are deep red with white to cream veining. Prefers acidic to neutral soil pH (between 5.5 and 7.0) and is hardy to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

​Aristolochia macrophylla (Aristolochia durior) (Dutchman's Pipe, Broadleaved Birthwort, Pipevine, Wild Ginger)
This deciduous vine grows best in zones 2-24, and is short-lived in warm-winter areas. Native to the eastern United States, this vine is easily grown from seed. Leaves are deep green, and the vine is fast growing; it will cover a 15x20 foot area in just one season. Flowers bloom in late spring and early summer, and are yellowish-green. Can grow in full sun or heavy shade, and needs average to good soil and ample water. Protect from strong winds. 

Aristolochia maxima (Florida Dutchman's Pipe, Canastilla, Guaco, Tecolotillo)
This woody vine species is native to Central and South America, and has naturalized itself in Florida. It grows naturally in hammocks, or tree stands that are living in an unnatural ecosystem. Flowers are brownish purple.

Aristolochia paecilantha (Party-Colored Birthwort)
This perennial woody vine has triangular limbs and stems, and produces bright yellow to light yellow-cream flowers with deep red to black-purple markings. These vines are native to Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Aristolochia pistolochia (Aristolochia paucinervis)
Native to southwestern Europe, this vining plant produces thick, light green leaves with ruffled to scalloped margins and dark red to brown flowers that are much smaller than those of many other Aristolochia species.

Aristolochia pontica
Native to Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and the Republic of Georgia, this species of woody vining plants produces glossy green, heart-shaped leaves and small white to mauve-purple flowers. 

Aristolochia ringens 
Native to Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, and Venezuela, this species has rounded heart-shaped green leaves, thin vining stems and produces brownish-purple and cream to white flowers. 

Aristolochia rotunda (Smearwort, Round-Leaved Birthwort)
Native to Southern Europe, this species of vine produces unbranched stems of foliage and yellow-green flowers with maroon-brown mouths and throat interiors. Flowers bloom from April through June. Leaves are rounded, and flowers are situated at the base of leaves on the vine.

Aristolochia tomentosa (Isotrema tomentosa, Isotrema tomentosum) (Wooly Dutchman's Pipe, Common Dutchman's Pipe)
This species is grown as an ornamental, valued as much for its foliage as anything else. Flowers are small, light yellow to cream-colored, and have deep red to maroon throats. Leaves are large and deep green, and are great at covering trellises or walls. 

​Aristolochia tricaudata
This species of Aristolochia is native to the Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico. These vines produce deep green leaves and scentless flowers that have three long tails that dangle beneath the flower opening. Blooms are deep red.

Aristolochia watsonii (Watson's Dutchman's Pipe, Southwestern Pipevine, Indian Root, Snakeroot)
This species of Aristolochia is native to Arizona through western Texas, where it prefers to live in mountain ranges between 2,000 to 4,500 feet in elevation. These are tough plants to find, and have smaller, arrow-shaped leaves that are maroon with lighter green veining. Flowers are small and maroon to brown.

Aristolochia westlandii
This species produces a woody, vining plant with green leaves and large flowers that are white to cream-colored with purple, red, or maroon veining. These plants are native to China and Hong Kong. 

Caring for aristolochia

These woody climbing vines prefer to be planted in full sun to partial shade conditions in the landscape. Ideally, they should be receiving between 4 and 6 hours of sun each day. In warmer climates, it is a good idea to give these vines some protection from late afternoon direct sun. Choose a space in the garden that has some protection from strong winds, which can damage foliage and blooms. Dutchman's Pipe likes to have its feet in rich soil that drains well; if local soils are particularly poor or have insufficient drainage, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic material and/or compost before installing. After planting, apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant, ensuring that mulch stays at least a few inches away from the stems. This will increase soil moisture retention, suppress weed growth, and maintain a constant soil temperature. Water newly planted vines regularly as they establish a strong root system. At maturity, these plants still like to have moisture in the soil around their roots; they are intolerant of dry soil conditions. Make sure to water each time the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry to the touch.

In late winter or early springtime, prune to control growth. These vines do not necessarily need to be pruned, but do have an extreme flammability rating, and should not be allowed to wander too close to homes or other inhabited buildings. ​If desired, the entire plant can be cut back to its base for a rejuvenation pruning; the vines will regrow in the same season. Amend soil each year around the base of the plant with plenty of compost. This feeding is typically sufficient for providing nutrients for the growing season each year, and no additional fertilizers are necessary.

Propagation

​Aristolochia vines can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Birthwort vine, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Aristolochia by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Aristolochia by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. Harvest your seeds. The green seed pods on these vines will emerge after flowers have faded, and will dry out and turn brown and brittle when ready to spill their seeds. Collect a few seed pods, and place them in a paper bag to bring them inside. Store the bag in a cool, dark, dry place as the pods continue to open up, or break open the pods and release seeds manually. Place seeds in hot water for two days, replacing water when it cools down. Toss out any seeds that float; they are not viable and will not germinate.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 1-3 months from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Aristolochia seed pods are left behind after flowers have faded, and contain flat, papery seeds.
Aristolochia seeds are relatively small, flat, and typically tan to brown in color.

Problems and Pests

Although they are typically resilient plants, Aristolochia vines can suffer from the following pests and diseases from time to time:
  • Root Rot
  • Leaf Spot
  • Blight
  • Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar
For more information on these pests and diseases, including how to deal with them, consult the following pages:
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Gallery

Aristolochia vines are commonly used as ornamentals. They provide great shelter from sun and precipitation when grown on trellises and arbors.
Nepenthes aristolochioides, a critically endangered plant that has pitcher flowers which resemble those of Aristolochia spp.
Each species in the genus has unique flowers that emit a scent which draws in flies, their main pollinators.

Videos

Learn about these interesting California native vines.
All about Aristolochia gigantea.
How do these flowers get pollinated?
In temperate zones, these plants do well in greenhouses.

Resources

Collecting Dutchman's Pipe Seed Pods - Growing A Dutchman's Pipe From Seeds
Aristolochia macrophylla
Is It A Fungus? Is It A Forb? No, It's A Tree!
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 168, Aristolochia
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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