Northern Leatherflower Clematis viorna

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Clematis

  Species:

  viorna

  Family:

  Ranunculaceae

  Life Cycle:

  Perennial

  Recommended Propagation Strategy:

  Division

  Layering

  Seed

  Stem Cutting

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  North Central & Eastern U.S.A

  Distribution:

  AL , AR , DC , DE , GA , IL , IN , KY , MD , MO , MS , NC , OH , PA , SC , TN , VA , WV

  Wildlife Value:

  Butterfly, moth and fly larvae feed on the foliage and stems. The flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Moth and fly larvae feed on the foliage and stems. Birds eat the seed heads.

  Play Value:

  Attractive Flowers

  Attracts Pollinators

  Climbing Method:

  Tendrils

  Twining

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Ground Cover

  Native Plant

  Poisonous

  Vine

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Climbing

  Spreading

  Growth Rate:

  Rapid

  Maintenance:

  Medium

  Texture:

  Fine

  Appendage:

  Tendrils

• Cultural Conditions:

  Light:

  Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)

  Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

  Soil Texture:

  Clay

  High Organic Matter

  Loam (Silt)

  Sand

  Soil pH:

  Neutral (6.0-8.0)

  Soil Drainage:

  Good Drainage

  Moist

  Available Space To Plant:

  3 feet-6 feet

  NC Region:

  Coastal

  Mountains

  Piedmont

  Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:

  4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Fruit Value To Gardener:

  Showy

  Display/Harvest Time:

  Fall

  Fruit Type:

  Achene

  Fruit Description:

  This plant has a large seed head with many individual seeds, each seed attached to a fuzzy plume of a tail for wind distribution.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Purple/Lavender

  Red/Burgundy

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Head

  Flower Value To Gardener:

  Showy

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Summer

  Flower Shape:

  Bell

  Urn

  Flower Petals:

  Colored Sepals

  Flower Size:

  1-3 inches

  Flower Description:

  This plant has single, 1-in. violet to dull purple, bell-shaped flowers with thick, fleshy, petal-like sepals. Its flowers have 4-8 petal-like parts of various colors and many stamens. It blooms from May to fall.

• Leaves:

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Green

  Leaf Feel:

  Leathery

  Leaf Type:

  Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Alternate

  Leaf Shape:

  Lanceolate

  Ovate

  Leaf Margin:

  Entire

  Hairs Present:

  Yes

  Leaf Length:

  3-6 inches

  Leaf Width:

  1-3 inches

  Leaf Description:

  Compound stems have 4-8 leaflets plus an additional tendril-like terminal leaflet. The leaflets range from unlobed to bearing two or three lobes to further divided into two or three sub-leaflets. They have a sparse to dense coating of long or short hairs on the underside. Leaves are alternate, either simple or odd-pinnately compound. Simple leaves and leaflets are lanceolate, 3" long x 2" wide, with entire margins and sometimes with lateral lobes, the leaflets at the base of the leaf are the most deeply divided. The major veins of each leaf are parallel.

• Stem:

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

  Stem Description:

  Stems are almost completely free of hairs or may have long or short soft hairs below the node.

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Naturalized Area

  Riparian

  Slope/Bank

  Vertical Spaces

  Woodland

  Landscape Theme:

  Native Garden

  Pollinator Garden

  Design Feature:

  Screen/Privacy

  Small groups

  Specimen

  Attracts:

  Bees

  Butterflies

  Hummingbirds

  Moths

  Songbirds

  Resistance To Challenges:

  Deer

  Rabbits

  Problems:

  Contact Dermatitis

  Poisonous to Humans

  Problem for Cats

  Problem for Children

  Problem for Dogs

  Problem for Horses

• Poisonous to Humans:

  Poison Severity:

  High

  Poison Symptoms:

  Clematis can cause severe mouth pain and ulcers if eaten. Toxic to dogs, cats, horses. Clinical signs are salivation, vomiting, diarrhea. In humans, symptoms may include dizziness, confusion, fainting, and convulsions. Fatalities are rare, due to the rapid and intense bitter taste and mouth irritation from eating. Gastric lavage is recommended and anti-inflammatory to soothe irritated tissue. Contact dermatitis results in skin redness and burning sensation for some people, gardening gloves are recommended.

  Poison Toxic Principle:

  protoanemonin

  Causes Contact Dermatitis:

  Yes

  Poison Part:

  Leaves

  Sap/Juice