Aristolochia californica

This western native Dutchman's pipe, indigenous through western California and southwest Oregon, can be a vine to 8 ft or so or a happily scrambling specimen. Either way, it is deciduous, with 3”, heart-shaped leaves and olive green stems that are quite attractive in their winter leaflessness. In spring and sometimes beyond into summer, light flowers appear -- the Dutchman's pipes of the common name -- often mottled or centered a maroon brown. Sun to part shade with afternoon protection in the hottest climates. Happy with extreme summer drought. Cold hardy to USDA zone 7. Host to the gorgeous blue Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

An incredibly unusual and wonderful vine! The pendulous pinkish-yellow 'Dutchman's pipe' blooms appear in early spring, before the large heart-shaped leaves emerge on this beautiful, deciduous, 5-20'vine. Native to the woodlands and riparian areas of California. An important pollinator plant; this vine is only the larval plant food for the California pipevine swallowtail butterfly. S-PSh/M

One of our state’s floral oddities is the California Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica. This twining deciduous vine is native to Northern California’s Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The common name refers to the unusual flowers, which are shaped like little meerschaum pipes or saxophones. They flower early in the year, in February and March, with the leaves emerging just after this. The flowers are an inch to an inch and a half long (2½ to 4 cm) and pale green in color, often with a flush of purple and with contrasting purplish-brown veins. The mouth has 3 lobes, one curling downward and 2 curling upward, and these match the color of the veins. The color of the mouth and veins is more intense on young flowers. The flowers of Aristolochia californica are pollinated by tiny gnats, but this species is also host to its own butterfly, the Pipevine Swallowtail. The butterfly’s caterpillars feed on the vine’s leaves, and in the process ingest toxins to which they are immune. The toxins make them unpalatable to birds. The leaves of Aristolochia californica are bright green and heart shaped, with an interesting texture. Their size varies, but they may be as much as 5 to 6 inches long (12½ to 15 cm). The genus Aristolochia belongs to the family Aristolochiaceae. Though A. californica is the only species native to our state, there are many other species found in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. The larva of the Pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor hirsuta) relies on California pipevine as its only food source. The red-spotted black caterpillars consume the leaves of the plants and then use the flowers as a secure, enclosed place to undergo metamorphosis. The plant contains a toxin which when ingested by the caterpillars makes them unpalatable to predators.

A vigorous deciduous climber, with bold textured heart shaped leaves, and weird green and reddish brown Dutchman's pipe flowers; its a large thing that is capable of climbing well into the treetops, hardiness is uncertain but I suspect it will prove tender here.

This robust, durable, rhizomatous vine will serve to knit your garden's shrubs and trees together into loose thickets or attractively cover a trellis or fence with rope-like stems to 12'. in length. But it's most noteworthy feature is its odd, bulbous, 1-1/2" flowers that appear in winter and spring, dangling from naked stems, and resembling a fanciful Dutchman's pipe. Nice as a small-scale groundcover under oaks or with coffeeberry, spicebush, and pink-flowering currant. In California habitat gardens, this vine provides color, a larval food source of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly, and flowers whose color attract fungus gnats that act as pollinators. Endemic to CA alone Dutchman's Pipe is an important larval food source of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. The Coast Miwok made a decoction to treat colds. Found in strembanks. Communitites located in Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Mixed Evergreen Forest Between 0 and 1500 feet.

Thrift or Sea Pink. Hardy evergreen perennials for full sun with narrow, stiff leaves that form grasslike basal rosettes. Small, dense flowers form globes atop erect flower stems.