Tuesday

Brazilian Dutchman's Pipe Aristolochia gigantea

Oh wow! Is this one is Bizarre!

Also known as Giant Pelican Flower, Aristolochia gigantea is a robust, twisting climber that can grow around a sturdy arbor or a tree up to 30 feet tall or higher.

This vine has fleshy heart-shaped leaves and large flowers exceeding a foot long and at least 6 inches wide. The flower is astounding, impressive, strange and sinister at the same time. The mouth of the pipe-shaped flower expands to a huge size and is colored with a maroon and white netting effect. In the “mouth” there is a central yellow spot where an opening leads into a closed pouch. The back view of the flower superficially resembles a pair of lungs with a canal leading into a stomach-like pouch. The blossom is over 14 inches (36 cm) long.
These huge, lemony scented flowers bloom from summer until late winter and are a sight to behold

Aristolochia gigantea usually grows in tropical regions from Panama to Brazil but it is incredibly hardy, and is an evergreen that will not die off at the first sign of a frost.


Seeds found here: Aristolochia gigantea

Digg this

4 comments:

Giga said...

Niesamowity i piękny. Pozdrawiam

The Sage Butterfly said...

Amazing plant!...so lush and lovely! Thanks for the info.

Stephanie said...

Incredible sight to behold!! Btw, did you smell the flowers?

Unknown said...

I am trying to figure out how to collect seeds from my Dutchman's Pipe. It blooms profusely but I don't know where to look for seeds. Any suggestions?