Wooly Birthwort Aristolochia tomentosa

Wooly pipevine is a deciduous, woody, twining vine in the pipevine family (Aristolochiaceae). It is native to the central and southern United States. It is typically seen in moist woods, thickets, or along streams or riverbanks. Its presence in the mountains of NC is probably natural. The genus name is a compound of two Greek words: aristos, meaning "best," and locheia, meaning "childbirth." This references the flower bud's resemblance to a human fetus. The species epithet means “covered with densely matted wooly hairs.”

Wooly pipevine is easily grown in moist, loamy, sandy soil. It does not tolerate dry soil and prefers full sun to partial shade. Pruning should be done during the winter months. The plant may be propagated by division, cuttings, or seeds.

It grows rapidly to 20 to 30 feet tall. In forests, this plant may be seen twining its way through the treetops. The leaves are large, heart-shaped and densely covered with wooly hairs on the upper and lower surfaces (unlike Aristolochia macrophylla, which has hairless foliage). Their blooms appear in mid to late spring and are usually hidden by the foliage. The blooms are hairy, yellow, or yellowish-green with purplish-lobes. In the fall the plant produces a grayish-brown, cylinder-like capsule that contains many seeds.

Wooly pipevine is the main larval food source for the pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor). The caterpillars can devour all the leaves, but the defoliated vine will recover. The caterpillars do no lasting harm. The flowers emit an odor that attracts flies, which are the pollinators. The vine is moderately resistant to deer.

The dense foliage would make them an ideal plant for an arbor or trellis. The vine can be grown in vertical shapes to create a privacy screen on porches, fences, arbors, walls, pillars or pergolas.

Insect, Disease, and Other Plant Problems: No serious disease/insect problems.