Common Name:

swamp leather flower

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Clematis crispa

Family:

Rannunculaceae

Form:

vine

Size:

typically 4-6 ft

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

lavender

Fruit Color:

white

Phenology:

winter dormant, long bloom period (spring-fall)

Noted For:

Recommended Uses:

Grow on a trellis or fence.

Considerations:

To remain attractive and not become a mass of past growth, cut it back occasionally. Thin out old stems.

Availability:

Propagation:

Seed (may take several years to sprout), stem and root cuttings, layering.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Loam, Organic (muck), Sand

Soil pH:

acidic to circum-neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A, 9B

Wildlife:

Attracts  hummingbirds.

Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis).

Attracts bees and butterflies. 

Native Habitats:

Riverine swamps, wet hammocks. This species can be seen near the boardwalks at Flint Creek and Sargeant Parks in Hillsborough County.

Natural Range in Florida:

Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants

Ethnobotany:

Poisonous to humans.

General Comments:

Climbs by twining petioles.