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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.

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Clematis hirsutissima (Hairy clematis)
Muller, Thomas L.

Clematis hirsutissima

Clematis hirsutissima Pursh

Hairy Clematis, Sugarbowls, Vase Flower, Leatherflower, Lion's Beard

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: CLHI

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

From tufts of large, deeply dissected leaves emerge leafy, 2 ft. high flower stalks, each bearing a single, brownish-purple, nodding bell with recurved tips and a woolly exterior. In fruit, clusters of feathery, plumed achenes adorn the now erect peduncle. This is a perennial wildflower.

Unlike most other Clematis species, it is not a vine. Another common name for this species, Lion's Beard, refers to the shaggy fruit head.

 

From the Image Gallery

9 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: Violet-blue to purple, rarely pink or white.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , ID , MT , NE , NM , OK , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Native Distribution: S.c. B.C., e. WA & e. OR, e. to c. MT & CO
Native Habitat: Grasslands; sagebrush plains; ponderosa forests

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, well-drained soil.

Propagation

Description: Fresh seed sown in fall has proven most successful. Many Clematis spp. are also propagated by late summer layerings.
Seed Treatment: A 60-180 day period of cold-moist stratification at 33-40 degrees aids in the germination of stored seeds.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-06
Research By: TWC Staff

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