Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Pipevine prefers partial shade, wet environments, similar to stream beds or floodplains; however, it only needs "medium" water to thrive and loamy soil. pH needs to be between 6-8. 

Growth Habit/Description:

Perennial, fast-growing vine. Twinning vines will climb walls or trellises up to 40 feet. Leaves vary from dark green to light green and are slightly heart-shaped. 

Bloom Season:

Trumpet-shaped, small blooms will be visible in early spring, March, April, and May; they are yellow around the edges and form a dark purple in the center

1-3 inch brown capsule fruits appear in the fall. 

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

Fruits appear in fall, which act as a food source in the later season. 

Host Plant for Caterpillars?

Yes, Pipevine is the larval host for Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). It is a butterfly native to the Eastern US, including Arkansas, that has beautiful blue and orange adornments. It is prized as only a handful of plants can support its larvae.

Other Known Ecological Value?

Yes; it attracts butterflies and pollinators to its small flowers, including the Pipevine Swallowtail. Having fruits in the later seasons allows for small creatures to have a food source in colder seasons.

Deadly Poison:

Pipevine possesses Aristolochic acid in all parts of the plants, which is known as a carcinogen, causing kidney failure in humans. Pipevine Swallowtail and other animals are not harmed by it. 

Flower Shape/Alternative Names:

Pipevine is also known as the Dutchman's Pipe or Woolly Dutchman's Pipe due to the shape of the flower which looks similar to a tobacco pipe. 

Name Meaning:

Aristolochia tomentosa comes from Greek and Latin with aristos meaning best, locheia, meaning childbirth in reference to the flowers that look like a human fetus. Tomentosa means covered with densely matted woolly hairs, in reference to the "wooly" hair covering the stems and leaves.

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina State University. Aristolochia tomentosa. [Cited 2024, Apr 12]. Available from: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aristolochia-tomentosa/

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database. Austin (TX). Aristolochia tomentosa. [Cited 2024, Apr 13]. Available from: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASCA

United State Department of Agriculture. Washington (DC). Aristolochia tomentosa Sims.  [Cited 2024, Apr 13]. Available from: https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ARTO3

Last edited by Kira Burnett, April 2024.