Click on image for full screen view.
| Scarlet Clematis, Texas Clematis, Leatherflower, Texas Leatherflower, Pipe-vine Clematis texensis Ranunculaceae Scarlet clematis is a beautiful, delicate vine that grows only in the Edwards Plateau, along streams, on shady limestone ledges, or on rich bottomlands. The brilliant red, urn-shaped flowers that appear in spring and early summer are actually sepals that curve backward at the tips. It is woody at the base but its stems are herbaceous, so it dies to the ground in the winter and blooms from new growth in the spring. The sepals are somewhat leathery, and give rise to the common name "leatherflower" for this and certain other Clematis species. Like all vining clematis, scarlet clematis needs a support for its twining leaf stalks, and likes to have its roots cool and shaded but its foliage in sunlight. It will do best in somewhat shaded, well-drained soil. It is extremely cold-hardy, surviving as far north as zone 5. Unfortunately, this beautiful clematis, endemic only to Central Texas, is an uncommon plant even there, and it is rare in cultivation, although hybrids such as 'Duchess of Albany', 'Etoile Rose', and 'Princess of Wales' are more commonly available. Plant Habit or Use: vine
Exposure: sun Flower Color: red to rose - pink
Blooming Period: spring Fruit Characteristics: achene with plumose tail Height: to 9 feet Width: 1 to 2 feet Plant Character: deciduous Heat Tolerance: high Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: alkaline Additional Comments:
|
| Index of Scientific Names | Index of Common Names | Photo Gallery Index |