Spectacular non orchid

[Rick]

Check out this Aristolochia species.


This flower is bigger than my outstretched hand


I have to look this species up. The genus has even larger/more spectacular species than this one (like grandiflorum).

This is another pipevine species like the dutchman pipes native to the US. I'm not sure if the genus is pan tropic or only Asian and New World. The foliage is often an important food source for butterfly larvae (but there seem to be species specific toxins in the plants that restrict the butterfly's capable of eating them.

I believe they are all fly pollinated and often smell pretty bad, but this one is maybe a little rank but with a citrus/spicy overlay. Not unpleasant.

I picked this up at our Society May picnic/auction. They had hacked it out of their GH to get it to the event. I just stuck it outside, and its been getting nothing but rain. It's growing aggressively into our dog yard fence, so I'll probably need to abuse it severely to get it back to a manageable size to overwinter it in my GH this fall.

 

[cnycharles]

interesting!

 

[Rick]

Looks to be a form of A. gigantea

 

[Brabantia]

Not common and spectacular flowering!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Looks to be a form of A. gigantea

That's my vote too Rick. I grew these in Florida where I first encountered them. The little native species that lives up your way, A. macrophylla, is a real disappointment by comparison.

 

[SlipperFan]

Amazing flower -- but do you have something to show it's size?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Amazing flower -- but do you have something to show it's size?

His hand in the last shot, Dot!

 

[fbrem]

Nice pickup, grandiflora is amazing. I grow a hardy species, Aristolochia fimbriata, in one of my beds at home with small yet awesome blooms and very attractive leaves.

 

[wjs2nd]

Wow, the colors are nice.

 

[Rick]

That's my vote too Rick. I grew these in Florida where I first encountered them. The little native species that lives up your way, A. macrophylla, is a real disappointment by comparison.

I'm not sure if they are synonyms, but we planted arbors of macrophylla and tomentosa at each of our front doors. The flowers are tiny in comparison, but there are zillions of them when in bloom. The vines provide a nice green tunnel in front of the doors too during the warmer times of the year. We also get the pipevine butterflies and caterpillars visiting.:wink:

 

[Rick]

Nice pickup, grandiflora is amazing. I grow a hardy species, Aristolochia fimbriata, in one of my beds at home with small yet awesome blooms and very attractive leaves.

If these weren't such big aggressive growing plants I would love to have the grandiflora. But I don't think they'd overwinter here, and I'm scared to give them a permanent GH home.

 

[Ozpaph]

very interesting flower

 

[NYEric]

Unusual and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[abax]

Interesting, but just looking at it reminds me of the smell of carrion. Have
you seen the sun lately??? Just keeps raining and raining here. How's the
flood situation in Nashville? I meant to ask EdM on OSF and forgot about it.

 

[JeanLux]

Quite impressive bloom!!!! Jean

 

[SlipperKing]

We have this same species growing in our gardens here in southeast Texas. I keep mine trained to a chain-link fence. I don't remeber a foul oder though.

 

[Susie11]

Wow.

 

[Rick]

Interesting, but just looking at it reminds me of the smell of carrion. Have
you seen the sun lately??? Just keeps raining and raining here. How's the
flood situation in Nashville? I meant to ask EdM on OSF and forgot about it.

Yes sun in short bursts. Coolest/rainiest summer since I've lived here. I live at the top of a ridge (so no floods near me), and I haven't had any high water to cross on my 45 mile ride into Nashville each day. But It's been a lot heavier south and east of my place.

 

[biothanasis]

great flower!!! Do you have a side photo?

 

[likespaphs]

that's great!