PlantFiles: Elegant Dutchman's Pipe, Calico Flower, Pelican Flower
Aristolochia elegans

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 needed 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 flower 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 phase out list. The list can be found here: [HYPERLINK@www.fleppc.org]

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 its 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 really 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 days 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. 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 produced 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 weird 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 very 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 bloom? 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 60-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) in 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 "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 - consider 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 is done with cuttings, but even that is difficult. They have no fragrance.