Aristolochia Species, Elegant Dutchman's Pipe, Calico Flower, Pelican Flower

I had this growing for well over a year it had covered a good amount of a portion of fence but the caterpillars kept it in check BUT no ...Read Moreflowers, I bought it not knowing exactly what type it was, but wanting a pipe vine for the butterflies, I started a compost pile close to the area it is growing on, within 3 months suddenly it went nuts...it is just fully covered in flowers, so in my opinion it is a heavy feeder. The compost pile will stay there just for the vine...LOL
Come on Butterflies!!

I picked up a Calico Flower at least a month ago, if not two, and it just has not fared well. We kept it in a pot for a while and recent...Read Morely decided to plant it in full sun and water it twice a day. It's root system was not vigorous but had a root system. We live fairly close to the ocean. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I've had this vine for three years and love the Polydamas butterflies that it attracts and is the host plant for. I've even brought some...Read More "Polys" inside to raise. I saw my first blooms this year and they're spectacular.

Invasive? I think not. It has remained in the same area it was planted. (Can't say that about my Passionvine!)

As far as being toxic to Pipevine SWT's, I've never seen one here so I don't think that's a problem for my area.

This plant is toxic to the Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars when they begin to eat it they die. Polydamas ST have no problem with it ho...Read Morewever.

I live in a suburb of Kansas City, and saw this plants listed as a "native" at a local greenhouse. There was only one, so I bought it jus...Read Moret to save someone the trouble of watching it die over the winter. I planted it facing the south and backed up to a fence. It grew great, and survived the first few frosts unscathed. Once we hit about 28 degrees, the foliage began to wilt. I cut it back, and for the heck of it, mulched it like crazy. We had a harsh winter with a bunch of snow and temps dipping into the -10 range, so I didn't even think about the presumably dead plant. I raked off the mulch today, and to my surprise I saw it was already trying to sprout! I will pamper it and hope to have the same success this winter.

this is the best vine for a chain link fence, we planted 2 vines about 2 years ago and it is about twenty feet in length over the whole f...Read Moreence, when we have caterpillars there are anywhrere from 50 to 100 of them and then when we have butterflies they are all flying around and there can be anywhere from 10 to 15 at one time laying more eggs.

I got this plant in 2009, and love it. I see a lot of people say it smells like rotting meat, but it does not smell like that. It has a l...Read Moreemony smell to it. And the way the seeds form is very unique.

This plant is prolific in my garden - it seeds itself and I am for ever having to remove new plants to prevent it from smothering other p...Read Morelants. The climate is sub tropical and we get lots of rain in the summer. The winter is very dry and warm.

This season is the first time it has bloomed (November).

Interesting Vine. Very attractive to butterflies. After every flower wilts on mine, it leaves behind a nice little seed basket that waves...Read More in the wind spreading it's seeds on the ground below. Found many Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars on mine. Mean looking things but the end result is beautiful.

This is called duck vine here. I bought it as a small plant of 3 inches height, now it is 15 feet high but no blooms. Will it bloom this ...Read Moreyear for me?. I think it is not blooming because of extreme summer heat here i.e. 45c. After weather becomes mild specially in rainy season it might bloom. It is growing really fast here in full sun.

I purchased this at Park Seed on clearance in late winter - it was already 5' tall staked. I kept it in the GH, avg temp 45- 50, it neede...Read Mored only minimal watering. Once I planted it in May things really took off! I am amazed at how fast the pods grow...incredibly fast bloomer - within a week I have watched a baby pod start and then grow to 6-7" and bloom, . Have not noticed any negative scent at all. I have it placed to get a.m. sun and thus far it is digging it....and so am I.

I imagine the attempt to erradicate this beautiful flower in florida is thankfully only in orlando or only north of miami. Ive seen this ...Read Moreflower many times in nurseries locally, and my mom owned one when i was growing up. I finally picked one up last month and could never be happier. Its such a beautiful and unique plant. It has a very musky smell (doesnt smell at all like rotting meat though) i only seem to notice if i am in close quarters with it (car ride home, and replanting) The only problem i have with it is the war against caterpillars, they seem to be drawn to the flowers on mine only though.

While wonderful for butterflies, this plant is an invasive non-native. It is on the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association please pha...Read Morese out list.

Be kind to your environment and the butterflies, pick a native like the ones listed:
Aristolochia pentandra
Aristolochia serpentaria
Aristolochia tomentosa
Hexastylis arifolia
Hexastylis arifolia var. arifolia
Hexastylis arifolia var. callifolia
Hexastylis virginica

Love this vine because it attracts butterflies, although I rarely see them, just the caterpillars. Very hardy. Produces many seeds in i...Read Morets parachute-like seed pod. I have oodles of them, if anyone is interested.

I have that for years now, it grows easily ( at least in Mauritius ) I've collected the seed at the seaside in a private garden , i reall...Read Morey was amazed by the colour and shape of it. For me the flower resemble as an orchid flower. When i sowed the seed, i remember it took months to germinate but very easy going can tolerate even very dry condition. It likes humidity and heat , once established grow like crazy. The seeds caps resemble like a parachute with plenty of seeds laid vertically one on each othe r ; posting pics of the flower and the seeds.

In starting the seed I had a rare experience: Only one seed would germinate per pot (how convenient) and they would sprout exactly 30 da...Read Moreys after planting them, no joke! I started these in early 2005. The plant that I kept grew in a gallon pot on my patio without bloom all summer. Upon bringing it indoors for the fall and forgetting to water it for nearly a month, it set out a bud.
(Many plants will try to bloom to reproduce when they feel that they are about ot die.)
But I have since then taken care of it properly!

Do not find this plant to be invasive either here in San Joaquin Valley. Discovered by accident that the flowers hold well when picked. ...Read More Layed one down that broke off and happened on it the next day and it looked as if just picked. . .will try more of them in an arrangement to test this out.

I have two that I bought at a small local nursery. They are not invasive in my yard, and I have never been able to smell them. They pro...Read Moreduced 2 seed pods each this year and flowered for most of the season.
I added them because in this area they are food for the larval stage of some of the swallowtail butterflies. Because of that, I don't think they could be invasive- I lost almost all of the growth to the caterpillars, and the nursery owner told me she lost almost her whole crop!
A great addition for interest and butterflies in the garden.

This plant is not as agressive as some of the other aristolochias in our area. The flower does not smell bad, but the leaves do have a we...Read Moreird smell if you crush them. Mine makes seedpods easily. Cuttings root best if taken in late summer-fall from semi-ripe wood.

No smell, and no sign of invasiveness. I love this fast-growing plant with its bizarre blooms! It's blooming now in September, and doing ...Read Morevery well in a large container in partial sun. I had to look all over Austin for it, and finally found it at the eighth nursery I looked. I will be trying to propagate with cuttings.

I have had Aristolochia elegans for 5 years. It is NOT invasive. It does not have a bad smell. Maybe if I stuck my nose inside the blo...Read Moreom? But really have never noticed any fragrance at all. Sadly it also has not set seed for me. Wish it would. It is a favorite here. Even though the caterpillars chew it, their work is not noticable unless you search and I love the butterflies. And yes, you could cut it to the ground without harming it.

My father had this plant when I was kid, I love it !! Recently I have seen the plant in Fredric Meijer Garden in Michigan.

I have had my plant for 4 years. I had in too much shade and I never had a bloom. I moved it to partial shade and it has climbed up a 6...Read More0-foot tower. It has bloom profusely last year and this year. I have never seen a seed pod on mine, and the blooms are over the roof level, so I don't get to enjoy the beautiful flower. I'm wondering if (when) I can cut it back to force it to flower lower to the ground, or if I would lose it.

Rotting meat???? Yikes....this is one to avoid!! I would like to know if "Dutchman's Pipe" should be cut back (and if so, to what level) ...Read Morein Zone 5/6, where freezing, snowy winters are the norm.

These flowers DO have a fragrance, similiar to that of rotting meat.

Aristolochia macrophylla (syn. A. durior) is the most common "Dutchman's Pipe", while A. elegans is usually known as...Read More "Calico Flower". Both are vigorous growers and can be somewhat difficult to get rid of once the novelty of the big, droopy, colorful blooms wears off.

On the plus side, they are the favorite feeding grounds of several butterfly larvae.

Beautiful flower that bloomed all summer.
Caution: Many Aristolochias contain the alkaloid aristolochine and other components - c...Read Moreonsider all of these plants highly toxic and avoid their use. Incorrect doses can cause vomiting, pain and even death.

Beautiful tropical vine, large interesting 7" flowers speratically through out the year. Have not found seeds on my plant, propagation i...Read Mores done with cuttings, but even that is difficult. They have no fragrance.