Native to the moist woods, thickets, and stream banks of the central and southern United States, wooly pipevine is a fast-climbing deciduous vine that reaches 20 to 30 feet with vigour. The large, heart-shaped leaves are densely covered in woolly hairs on both surfaces, creating a matte, felted appearance in the garden that differs noticeably from the glossier Aristolochia macrophylla. The spring flowers are yellow or yellowish-green with purplish lobes, tucked within the foliage where flies find them by scent and pollinators go largely unnoticed by passersby. Fall brings grayish-brown, cylinder-like seed capsules dispersed on the wind.

This is a reliable vine for arbours, pergolas, and porch screens in zones 5 to 8, where it needs moist, loamy or sandy soil and full sun to partial shade. It does not tolerate dry soil. Prune in winter to manage its growth. Like Aristolochia macrophylla, it is a primary larval food plant for the pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor); caterpillars may defoliate it completely, but the vine regenerates. The dense, woolly foliage is a genuine visual asset through the growing season, and its tolerance of deer makes it practical for gardens where browsing pressure is high.