Found in dry to moist forests across the eastern and central United States, Aristolochia serpentaria is the ground-level counterpart to the climbing pipevines. It spreads by rhizomes through humus-rich loam or clay loam in partial to full shade, reaching 1 to 2 feet in height and creeping quietly outward rather than scaling anything. The flowers appear in summer, copper-brown like those of its larger relatives and similarly shaped, though smaller and often partially buried at ground level — a habit that leaves them easy to miss even when you are looking for them.

For the shade or woodland garden this is an underused plant. It asks for moist, well-drained soil with good organic content and will tolerate more shade than most ground covers. Division or seed propagation is straightforward, though seed germination can take up to two years. Pipevine swallowtail larvae will feed on it, but a single plant is rarely enough to complete a caterpillar's lifecycle; planting several together or pairing with larger Aristolochia species will better serve both the butterfly and the garden.