Clematis virginiana L.
Virginsbower
Virgin's-bower
Devil's Darning Needles
Florida native
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An occasional vine of open wet hammocks and disturbed sites in scattered counties of the panhandle and south into the central peninsula. The range extends throughout the eastern United States, west into Texas to the Dakotas. Also found in the southern parts of eastern Canada.
A mostly herbaceous vine with angled stems, becoming woody near the base. The pinnately compound leaves are opposite with petioles up to 10cm (4 in.) long and three leaflets each 2-10cm (3/4 to 4 in.) long and 1-6cm (3/8 to 2-1/3 in.) wide. Each leaflet is somewhat heart shaped with a margin that may be serrate, entire, or lobed. The star-shaped white flowers appear in dense clusters from the leaf axils. Fruit is a dry achene up to 5mm (~3/16 in.) long with long white plumes attached. Clematis virginiana has more than 40 of these achenes in each head.
Clematis virginiana is a member of the Ranunculaceae - Buttercup family.
Other species of the Clematis genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Clematis catesbyana - SATINCURLS
Clematis crispa - SWAMP LEATHER-FLOWER
Clematis reticulata - NETLEAF LEATHER-FLOWER
Clematis terniflora - SWEET AUTUMN VIRGINSBOWER
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Feb 22, 2024