Dutchman's Pipe

A very strange plant! This is Dutchman's Pipe (species Aristolochia durior), a climbing vine of the birthwort family (where do they get these names?) I planted it at the base of a downspout 5 years ago and it has now grown up onto the roof 3 stories up - probably 30 ft high! It looks like something from Jack-and-the-Beanstalk with odd little green flowers. But it does do a nice job of decorating the downspout.

backyardflowers