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Native Plants of the Southeast

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Clematis viorna
Leatherflower, Vasevine, Northern Leatherflower

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Leatherflower, described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, is a belle of the Southeast. This slender, herbaceous perennial vine is valued for its sheer delicate beauty. The nodding, reddish-purple, bell-shaped flowers are thickly textured and the rosy, recurved petals are cream-colored at the tips and inside. But they do more — the flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies and then mature to become beautiful, dramatic seed heads for birds to enjoy. In nature, it grows along wood edges and stream banks under tree canopies from Pennsylvania to Missouri and south to Georgia and Mississippi. In the garden, it climbs – by tendrils – to a mere 10 to 12 ft in bright shade with average soil moisture, adaptable and easy to grow. Any stems remaining from the previous season can be cut to the ground, as all the flowering will come on the new growth in late spring and summer. The achenes with their feathery tails extend the attractiveness of the vine into the fall.

Last Updated: May 15, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Clematis viorna L.
Common Names: Leatherflower, Vasevine, Northern Leatherflower
Family Name: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Plant Type: Vine
Uses: Naturalizing, Meadow, Climbing specimen
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Medium
Bloom Times: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Flower Color: Pink/rose
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts birds, Showy fruit, Fall interest

Additional Info

Habit: A small, mostly non-woody, herbaceous perennial vine.
Height: up to 12'
Spread: n/a
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Conditions: Moist, well-drained soil with a neutral to a slightly alkaline pH.
Leaves: 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 major veins of each leaf are parallel.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): Single, bell-shaped, perfect flowers 1" across by 2" long, in various shades of pink, violet to dull purple, with thick, fleshy, reflexed, petal-like sepals (no petals), creamy white interior.
Fruit: Leatherleaf has a large seed head with many individual seeds, each seed attached to a fuzzy plume of a tail for wind distribution.
Natural Distribution: rich woods, thickets
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: Not availale
Pollination: Bees
Wildlife Connections: Bumblebees pollinate the flowers. Other insects (thrips, midges) feed destructively on the flowers. Butterfly, moth and fly larvae feed on the foliage and stems. The foliage is probably poisonous to mammalian herbivores. All Clematis provide useful cover and nesting habitat for many songbirds in open wooded areas.
Pharmacology: All parts of this plant are toxic, causing inernal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested in large amounts. If there is skin irritation, (we have never experienced any of this in the nursery), it is minor and short-lived. Foliage has bitter taste and is therefore safe from pets. It is also reported to be deer resistant.
Downside: See "Pharmacology"
Propagation: From seed, by semi-hardwood cuttings, or by layering.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov

Availability

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Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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