Bloomipedia
Southwestern pipevine (Aristolochia watsonii)
Photo: Wendy McCrady via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Southwestern pipevine

Aristolochia watsonii

Southwestern pipevine (Aristolochia watsonii) is a vine in the Aristolochiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Arizona

Southwestern pipevine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

2states where USDA records it
1,031AZ sightings*
1,049U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Aristolochia watsonii is a perennial plant in the birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae), found growing among plants of the Arizona Uplands in the Sonoran Desert. The plant is inconspicuous, small and hard to spot, but can be found by following the pipevine swallowtail which lays eggs on it.

  • It belongs to the Aristolochiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 1,031 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #102 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (43 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records southwestern pipevine in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, New Mexico.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Aristolochia porphyrophylla.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 16 counties across 2 states; the most are in Arizona (13), New Mexico (3).

More from the Aristolochiaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Little brown jugs, Western wild ginger, Reflexed wild ginger, Little heartleaf, Variable-leaf heartleaf.

More Arizona flowers

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–April
Fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: August–September

Sources