Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Clematis columbiana

Clematis columbiana (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray

Rock Clematis

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: CLCO2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A slender-stemmed, sometimes creeping, semi-woody perennial that may attain a length of 10-12 ft. The nodding, blue to reddish-purple flowers are solitary on short branches from the axils of three-parted leaves. Flowers are followed by a fragile, plumed seedhead.

An excellent garden plant for areas east of the Cascades.

From the Image Gallery

8 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Stems climbing or trailing, up to about 12 feet long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , ID , MT , ND , NM , OR , SD , TX , UT , WA , WY
Native Distribution: E. of the Cascades from B.C. to n.e. OR, e. to Alt., MT & CO
Native Habitat: Wooded or open areas, often on talus slopes

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry to moist soils.
Conditions Comments: An excellent garden plant for areas east of the Cascades.

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Clematis columbiana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Clematis columbiana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Clematis columbiana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2025-04-03
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back