Aristolochia contorta

Aristolochia contorta is a perennial in the Aristolochiaceae family. It also goes by the name Ma Dou Ling. Its native range spans temperate parts of eastern Asia. Kew places it from the southern Russian Far East to Vietnam and Japan’s Honshu island. Plants For A Future also records it in China and Korea. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant reaches about 5 feet [1.5 metres] tall. Wild plants grow in thickets on slopes and in valleys. They also grow at mountain woodland edges in Korea. Chinese records place it at elevations of 1,640–3,940 feet [500–1,200 metres]. Plants For A Future also lists willow beds as habitat. These records describe its wild settings, not a tested garden hardiness range.

Flowers appear from May to July, according to Plants For A Future. Each flower has both male and female organs. Flies pollinate the flowers. Seeds ripen from September to October. The fruit has a capsule, which features in records of medicinal use. The supplied species records give no further details about flower colour. They also provide no species-level account of leaf or stem form.

Plants For A Future lists moist soil as its preference. It reports that sand, loam, and clay can suit it. The soil should drain well rather than remain waterlogged. Mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils are all listed. It can grow in full sun or partial shade. The source lists cultivated beds as a garden setting. Its notes do not confirm hardiness in Britain. For seed raising, it recommends autumn sowing in a greenhouse. Young plants should spend their first winter under glass. Planting out follows the last expected frost in late spring or early summer.

Safety needs care despite the plant’s recorded uses. Plants For A Future lists cooked leaves as a food use. It gives this use a low edibility score and urges caution. The same source reports that the plant contains aristolochic acid. This substance can damage kidneys and cause cancer. The source records medicinal uses for the fruit and capsule. Those records do not establish safe treatment or safe home use. The reported food use should not be read as proof of safety.