Aristolochia macrophylla Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Aristolochia macrophylla — 17cm / 2L17cm / 2L
Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla

£28.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerant
Pot size
17cm / 2L £28.99

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Description

Aristolochia macrophylla, the classic Dutchman's Pipe, is one of the most striking foliage climbers you can grow outdoors in the UK. This vigorous, fully hardy dutchmans pipe vine clothes walls, pergolas and arches in a curtain of huge, overlapping, heart-shaped leaves, some as broad as a dinner plate, creating a lush, almost tropical green screen in a remarkably short time.

The name comes from the curious early-summer flowers. Tucked beneath the foliage in June and July, each bloom is shaped like a little curved smoking pipe, mottled in yellow-green and purple-brown. They are a real talking point for anyone who takes the time to lift a leaf and look. For the rest of the season this dutchman's pipe plant earns its place on sheer architectural foliage alone.

How and where to grow

One of the great virtues of Aristolochia macrophylla is its tolerance of shade. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and is happy on north, east and west-facing walls where many flowering climbers sulk. Give it a strong support to twine through, as mature plants are heavy and can climb 8-10 m. It suits any reasonable garden soil, whether chalk, clay, loam or sand, provided it stays moist but well drained, and it copes with frosts to around -15C, so no winter protection is required.

  • Self-twining, no tying-in needed once started
  • Excellent for fast screening and shady aspects
  • Deciduous, with fresh foliage each spring
  • Long-lived and easy once established

Plant into well-prepared, enriched soil, water deeply through the first two summers, and prune in late winter to keep it within bounds. Please note that all parts contain aristolochic acid and are toxic if eaten, so wear gloves when handling and site it away from pets and livestock. Whether you are searching for Aristolochia macrophylla UK stock or simply want a bold, low-fuss climber for a difficult wall, this is a superb choice. Each plant we send out is nursery-grown, well rooted and carefully selected to establish quickly in your garden.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Dutchman's Pipe

Give me sun with a little shade and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla needs partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Screening & Privacy Shade Walls & Fences

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H5), tolerating roughly -15C once established, so no winter protection is needed in the open garden. Young plants in their first season benefit from a mulch over the roots through a hard winter. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H5), tolerating roughly -15C once established, so no winter protection is needed in the open garden. Young plants in their first season benefit from a mulch over the roots through a hard winter.

Position

Partial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Happy in full sun or partial shade. It grows well on north, east or west-facing walls, fences and pergolas, making it one of the most useful climbers for a shadier aspect where many flowering climbers struggle. Read moreShow less

Happy in full sun or partial shade. It grows well on north, east or west-facing walls, fences and pergolas, making it one of the most useful climbers for a shadier aspect where many flowering climbers struggle.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Not fussy on soil type, thriving on chalk, clay, loam or sand at any pH, but it does best in a deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil that drains freely. Dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Read moreShow less

Not fussy on soil type, thriving on chalk, clay, loam or sand at any pH, but it does best in a deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil that drains freely. Dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure before planting.

Watering

Water regularly and deeply through the first two growing seasons to settle the deep root system, never letting the soil dry out in summer. Once established it is fairly drought tolerant, though it always looks lushest with consistent moisture and an annual spring mulch. Read moreShow less

Water regularly and deeply through the first two growing seasons to settle the deep root system, never letting the soil dry out in summer. Once established it is fairly drought tolerant, though it always looks lushest with consistent moisture and an annual spring mulch.

Mature size

Height8-10 m
Spread3-4 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

Jun-Jul

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Scent

Flowers carry a faint, unpleasant fetid scent that attracts small flies for pollination

Pruning

Little pruning needed; in late winter thin out crowded or overlong stems to keep this vigorous Dutchman's pipe within its space.

Toxicity

Toxic if eaten. All parts contain aristolochic acid, which is harmful to humans and animals if ingested; wash hands after handling.

Native range

Eastern USA (Appalachian woodlands)

Family

Aristolochiaceae

Also known as

Aristolochia macrophylla

Genus

Aristolochia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dutchman's Pipe hardy in the UK?

Yes, Aristolochia macrophylla is fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS H5) and copes with hard frosts down to around -15C once established. It is deciduous, so it naturally drops its leaves in autumn and reshoots from the woody framework each spring with no winter protection needed.

Where is the best place to plant it?

Give it a sturdy support such as a pergola, trellis, arch or wire-trained fence in sun or partial shade. It is one of the few large climbers that performs well on a north, east or west-facing wall, where its big overlapping leaves quickly create a dense green screen.

How big does Aristolochia macrophylla grow?

It is a vigorous woody twiner that can reach 8-10 m in height and 3-4 m across over time, typically taking five to ten years to reach full size. Annual pruning easily keeps it to the space you have.

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes, it is deciduous. The large heart-shaped leaves turn yellowish and fall in autumn, revealing the twining stems, then a fresh canopy of foliage emerges again from late spring.

Is Dutchman's Pipe poisonous to pets?

Yes, all parts contain aristolochic acid and are toxic if eaten by people, cats, dogs or livestock, so site it away from grazing animals and curious pets. Wear gloves and wash your hands after pruning or handling the plant.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£28.99