Aristolochia tomentosa

Common Names

Wooly Pipevine, Wooly Dutchman's Pipe, Wooly Birthwort, Common Dutchman's Pipe

Summary

Aristolochia tomentosa Sims, commonly known as Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe, is a woody, twining vine native to the southeastern United States, it grows vigorously as a high-climbing climber to about 20–30 feet in height and 5–10 feet wide, with large heart-shaped leaves densely covered in woolly hairs on both surfaces and yellowish-green pipe-shaped flowers that bloom from new growth and are often hidden by foliage, fruit is a brown capsule that forms later, in cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, tolerating a range of soil types from loam to sand and medium moisture, hardy in USDA zones 5–8, propagation is by seed or cuttings and it can be trained on arbors, trellises, fences, or walls to provide vertical coverage, it also serves as a larval host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, All parts contain aristolochic acid and are toxic if ingested, so handling and placement should avoid access by pets and children

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

20-30 feet

Spread

5-10 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a-8b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Shade to Full Sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, loamy soil that remains moist

Soil pH

6.5-6.5, Slightly acidic to neutral soil, Tolerates mildly acidic to very alkaline soils

Bloom Color

Yellowish-green

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Rapid

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, attracts flies