Clematis reticulata Walter

Netleaf Leather Flower

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Netleaf Leather Flower is a native herbaceous vining perennial in the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It grows throughout most of Alabama. Netleaf Leather Flower occurs in dry pine woodlands, in scrub oak woods, in sandhills, and on dry roadside banks. It is a vining perennial climbing by tendrils. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, and ternately or pinnately parted with 6-8 leaflets. The leaflets are ovate to elliptic in outline, 1-3 lobed, pubescent but not glaucous on the lower surface, and leathery in texture. The veins form prominent reticulate patterns on both surfaces of the leaf. Flowers are produced in axillary 1-3 flowered racemes. The individual flowers are vase-shaped with thick, leathery, purple to lavender sepals that are greenish-white towards their tips. The fruit is a head of achenes with long plumose beaks. Netleaf Leather Flower is occasionally available from native plant nurseries. It can also be grown from seed that have been stratified for 2-3 months. It prefers a location in full sun with a sandy, well-draining soil. It can be grown on a fence, trellis, or arbor. Alternately it can be allowed to twine around tree or shrub stems on sprawl across the ground. The vines are very fragile and will break easily when trying to move them.—A. Diamond.

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Native

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