Birthwort

Aristolochia clematitis

Native to:
Albania, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine

📍 View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Aristolochiaceae
Genus:
Aristolochia
Species:
Aristolochia clematitis
USDA Symbol:
ARCL

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb , Vine
Height:
100 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
may,jun,jul,aug
Bloom Colors:
yellow, green

Wildlife Benefits

Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
butterflies
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Fragrant:
Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers fertile soils often found in floodplains

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Germination Time:
14–60 days
Notes:
Seeds require light for germination and benefit from cold stratification to break dormancy. Germination can be erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI