Dutchman's Pipe

DUTCHMAN’S PIPE ESSENCE (Aristolochia elegans)
Throat and Solar Plexus Chakras

Motto: “I digest and dissolve what is deep within.”

Origin: Brazil

Traditional herbal uses: The plant is carnivorous, i.e., it digests insects that slip inside the pipe-shaped flower. Members of this plant genus are called birthworts, traditionally used to ease the pain of childbirth. It is also sometimes used to treat malaria and other diseases. The plant is highly toxic, especially to the kidneys. Incorrect doses in herbal supplements can cause vomiting, pain and even death.

Energetic properties:
-Digestion” of trapped/blocked emotions
-Expression and release of hidden feelings

This was a newcomer to the Botanical Garden and caught my eye as I was making my rounds (after a year’s absence). The flowers impudently winked at me from among the leaves and tree stump they were twined around.

A lovely plant — and it keeps the bug population under control without chemicals — what more could one ask?