Clematis

We currently have two Clematis in the garden–Vancouver Starry Night, and Apple Blossom (shown at right).  Both are cultivars.  We planted  another cultivar, Hagley’s hybrid, but it did not survive a hot summer.  We hope to re-add it, as well as an Indigenous clematis, either Clematis columbiana or or Clematis occidentalis, which looks very similar–they are “western virgin’s bower” or “blue virgin’s bower.” –or possibly white clematis–Clematis ligusticifolia.

There are over 250 species in the genus Clematis, with native species in Europe, China, Australasia, North America, and Central America.  The Greek word klematis “is an old name applied to climbing plants”. (MBG).

“‘Hagley Hybrid’ features profuse, showy, eight-sepaled, 6-8″ diameter, white flowers with purplish brown anthers cover this vine in summer. Bloom on this cultivar comes primarily from the previous year’s stems in early summer, but also occurs in a second flush later in the summer on the new (current year’s) growth.” (MBG)

“Clematis columbiana is a slender-stemmed sometimes scrambling, vine-like plant. Its stems are initially green, but turn red-brown when mature. Leaves are arranged oppositely along the wiry leafstalks and are consistently ternate (divided into three distinct parts). Leaflets are lance to elliptic-shaped and thin or slightly succulent and their margins vary from entire, to notched, to sometimes serrated. Nodding flowers with 4 blue to purplish sepals are terminal and solitary, blooming from May to July. Blossoms are followed by delicate, pom-pom-like seedheads which are covered with white feathery plume. The seedheads can be nearly as attractive as the flowers.” (Seven Oaks)