Charismatic Clematis

 

Scarlet Clematis is endemic to the southeastern Edwards Plateau.

Blooming vines are always a welcome addition to our Hill Country landscapes, offering continuous interest through vibrant colors and varied bloom times. Some of the most popular vines are in the genus Clematis in the Buttercup Family.  While many cultivars and hybrids exist, there are nine native species in Texas, the most prominent being Scarlet Clematis (Clematis texensis), Purple Leatherflower (Clematis pitcheri), and Old Man’s Beard (Clematis drummondii).

Otherwise referred to as Scarlet Leatherflower and Texas Clematis, Scarlet Clematis is a herbaceous to slightly woody vine, with compound leaves of four to five pairs of rounded leaflets, and grasping tendrils which allow the plant to climb to about 10 feet.  It has bell-shaped flowers, held in axillary clusters of one to seven, blooming only on new growth.  The four red to scarlet-colored ‘petals’ are actually thick, leather-like sepals slightly recurved at the tips, occurring from March to August.  A ball of feathery plumed seeds follows the floral display.  Scarlet Clematis is uncommon, found along streams and on limestone cliffs and rocky slopes and is endemic to only a few counties in the southeastern portion of the Edwards Plateau.

Scarlet Clematis Bloom

Feathery Plumed Scarlet Clematis Seedhead

Purple Leatherflower, also called Purple Clematis, Bellflower Clematis, and Pitcher’s Clematis, is a 10 foot or longer vine that climbs via twining petioles. Its compound leaves are also comprised of three to five pairs of pointed leaflets, each having a raised network of veins on the underside. From May to September, flowers appear on long, nodding stems arising from the leaf axils, and are dull purple on the outside and dark purple on the inside. The four petal-like sepals are thick and united at the base, but are recurved at the tips.  While they also turn into a ball of plumed seeds following flowering, they are the least pubescent of the native species.  Purple Leatherflower can be found in woodland edges and thickets in the central, south, and western parts of the state.

Purple Leatherflower

Purple Leatherflower Bloom

Plumed Purple Leatherflower Seedhead

Known as Texas Virgin’s Bower and Drummond’s Clematis, Old Man’s Beard is a climbing vine to 30 feet, coiling its petioles along fences and other structures and shrubs.  The compound leaves are composed of five to seven coarsely cut leaflets. From April to September, star-shaped blooms of four light greenish-yellow, almost white, narrow and thin sepals with slightly crinkled margins surround conspicuously long stamens. Old Man’s Beard can be found along roadsides and in rocky canyons in the central, south, and western parts of the state. One of its common names comes from the 2 to 4 inch long, silky hairs on the seed cluster, giving the plant a bearded appearance which often lingers into winter. Another comes from the abundant cascade of white flowers, believed to symbolize purity and innocence.

Old Man's Beard

Old Man's Beard Bloom

Beard-like Old Man's Bloom Seedheads

Flowering Clematis vines have been known to symbolize ingenuity, cleverness, and travel, due to their climbing, rambling nature.  In traditional Chinese symbolism they represent wisdom and foresight, and in Japanese Hanakotoba or the language of flowers, they represent moral beauty and the joy of travelers. The intricacies of their showy flowers and long blooming season make Clematis some of our most charismatic vines!   

Distinctly Different Milkweeds

Pearl Milkvine

Much ado has been made of the more common and widespread milkweed species, but there are a handful of milkweed vines that are less common but more distinct, and just as useful as native host plants for Monarchs and related butterflies.

A fairly robust, twining vine 6 to 12 feet long growing in dry, light shade in thickets on rocky hillsides and woodland edges, Pearl Milkvine (Matelea reticulata) is best known for its heart-shaped leaves and flat, greenish-white flowers ½ to ¾ of an inch across with pearly, iridescent centers.   Also called Green Milkweed Vine, Net Vine Milkvine, and Netted Milkvine, its curious flowers have tiny white veins forming an intricate pattern on the surface of the petals, adding to their unusual look. In fact, ‘reticulata’ refers to this pattern, which mans ‘resembling a net or network’.  It blooms from April to July, especially in full sun, giving way to fairly large, interesting prickly follicles filled with seeds attached to silky threads.  This native species is a host plant to Monarch butterflies.

Plateau Milkvine

Both the Pearl Milkvine and Plateau Milkvine have prickly seed follicles

Often mistaken for Pearl Milkvine is Plateau Milkvine (Matelea edwardensis), endemic only to the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas.  This uncommon vine shares the same twining habit of Pearl Milkvine, but its leaves, while similar, generally have a somewhat wavy edge, and its flowers are bell-shaped instead of flat.  Additionally, its greenish-white flowers do not have a pearl center, and its petals are not solely reticulate-patterned, having parallel veins in their lower halves and centers, and reticulate or networked veins only on the edges or margins.  Blooming in April and May, this species can be found on gravelly soils in open woodlands, often climbing on other plants, and it is a native host plant for Queen butterflies.

Pearl Milkvine Flowers

Plateau Milkvine Flowers

Purple Milkvine

Usually found in the chalky soils of pastures and open ground, Purple Milkvine (Matelea biflora) has low-growing stems that radiate along the ground from a woody rootstock, and along with its opposite, triangular leaves, are covered with long, spreading hairs.  From March to June, pairs of star-shaped, five-petaled, dark purple-brown flowers rise from the base of the leaves, which gives this plant its other common name of Star Milkvine.  While its trailing stems can grow up to 2 feet long, it inhabits grassy areas and as such is often hidden and overlooked, except by Queen and Soldier butterflies who use it as their native host plant.

Talayote

Named for a small town in Chihuahua, Mexico, Talayote (Cynanchum racemosum) or Milkweed Vine is a climber that grows to 15 to 20 feet in full sun to part shade, and is a native host plant for both Queen and Soldier butterflies.  Talayote produces clusters of small cream and green flowers that are held above and among the heart-shaped leaves, blooming in the hotter months from summer into fall, and attracting a host of other small but beneficial pollinators.  Growing only in Central, South, and West Texas in the United States, this vine produces plump, smooth follicles 3 inches long, filled with silk-topped seeds, often remaining on the vine well into winter. 

Take the time to seek out and appreciate these lesser known members of the Milkweed family, as they are beautifully and distinctly different!