Native Plants

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Monday - November 29, 2010

From: Granbury, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources, Vines
Title: Looking for seed for Clematis drummondii in Granbury, TX.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I am trying to landscape with native Texas plants. I want a Clematis drummondii and have no idea where to get one. I read it grows readily from seeds, but I cannot locate any. Can you help. Also, growing from seed, one would not know if the plants were male or female (which produce the plumes), right? How old would the plants have to be to tell if they were male or female? I'm willing to grow from seed if I can just find some.

ANSWER:

Clematis drummondii (Drummond's clematis) is a hardy, perennial vine that is showy when it flowers, and perhaps even more spectacular in the Fall when the plumes on the fruits appear. It is a dioecious plant, having staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers on separate plants. The pistillate flowers, of course, are the ones that produce the plumes, and there is no way to tell the plants apart until they flower.

Generally, Mr. Smarty Plants would refer you to our Suppliers Directory to find a source of seeds or plants, but his perusal of the directory wasn't very productive. Stuart's Nursery in Weatherford, TX mentions Clematis in its plant descriptions, but it isn't on their plant list.

Easywildflowers.com has seeds for Clematis virginia Clematis virginiana (Devil's darning needles). This USDA distribution map shows it occurring in Mc Clennan County and further east of Hood County.

Another possibility is for you to collect wild seed, but your window of opportunity for this year is closing. This USDA publication has information about collecting and germinating seed from various species of Clematis. This USDA distribution map shows that C. drummondii occurs in Ellis County and in counties further west and south of Hood County.

You could also contact members of the North Central Texas Chapter and the Cross Timbers Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas to help you in this quest.

From the Image Gallery

Old man's beard
Clematis drummondii

Devil's darning needles
Clematis virginiana