Dutchman's Pipe-vine (Aristolochia tomentosa)

Dutchman's Pipevine is named for its pipe-shaped flowers that appear in the spring among the large, heart-shaped leaves. This is a high-growing vine that will find its way to the top of anything it is growing near, whether a tree or a sturdy trellis. It makes an effective shade screen. The flowers are pollinated by small flies that get trapped inside the flower briefly. Once they are covered in pollen, they are released from the flower and typically fly into the next one and get trapped again. The pipevine swallowtail is a butterfly that relies on this vine as a host plant--its the same relationship that monarch butterflies have with milkweeds. The caterpillars eat only the foliage of their host plant and depend on that plant for survival. Note that this vine is rhizomatous and may spread.

Uses: butterflies, shade barrier, trellis
Bloom time: May - June

Height: Up to 75 feet