FNPS Plant Database

Clematis crispa

swamp leather flower
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

swamp leather flower

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Clematis crispa

Family:

Rannunculaceae

Plant Specifics

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:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

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:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Organic

Soil pH:

Acidic to circum-neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds

Larval host for mournful thyris ( Thyris sepulchralis ).


Attracts bees and butterflies. 

Attracts  hummingbords.

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:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Poisonous to humans.

General Comments:

Climbs by twining petioles.

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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