Aristolochia: Gigantic Alien

There are several species of Aristolochia, but my favorite is A. gigantea, commonly known as Giant Dutchman's Pipe,  with its 25-ft. vine, 4-inch heart-shaped leaves and other-worldly 12-inch long flowers. I had planted a snail vine on one side of my wrought iron arch and the Aristolochia on the opposite side plus a morning glory vine. The latter was a big mistake because it took over the arch so when the snail vine died in last winter, I also took out the morning glory in the hopes that the Dutchman's Pipe would do better. In previous years, I was thrilled if one Aristolochia blossom appeared, but this year, because it had no other competitors, it is bearing over 24 blossoms with more coming! It thrives in frost-free regions so if you have a sturdy fence or arch and have little or no frosts during the winter months, I recommend the Aristolochia with its alien-appearing, but truly bodacious blossoms.