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Clematis glaucophylla
Leather Flower Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Rare in moist woods of the southeast, Leather Flower weaves its way through the brush and trees and dangles its summer flowers throughout and up high. But in cultivation, and with proper pruning, WOW.;;This non-aggressive vine has smooth green leaves with 2 to 4 pairs of leaflets, and from the leaf axils of new growth, 1 inch bright pink flowers are formed nearly all summer long. The solitary, bell-shaped flowers are on 6 inch long stalks which reach out to the sun, and are deep pink with yellow on the insides of the flared openings. It is called Leather Flower because the flowers are thickened almost like a thin banana peel. While new flowers are forming, the old ones develop into very ornamental fluffy seed heads which start glistening gold, turning whitish, then maturing into a deep brown.;;This Clematis likes good soil with regular moisture and partial sun - could take full sun in the north and more shade in the south. It wants to grow around 12 to 15 feet per year but flowering occurs on new growth only. So for use on a fence, trellis, or post where you want to see the flowers up close and down low, pruning should be done any time after the plant has gone dormant in the late fall up to early spring. Cut back to two strong sets of buds or nodes on the stem as close to the ground as possible. Blooms should appear within 2 to 3 feet of where you pruned the stem. Or, if you wanted it to twine around a porch railing that was 10 feet above ground level, you could prune the old stems to about 6 or 7 feet above the ground. If you want to grow it up through a tree or shrub, don't prune at all. It may take some time to reach these heights.

Leather Flower is definitely a candidate for the front porch railing. Given good soil, some light, and moisture, it is a real show stopper.;
Cat# 1334

Clematis glaucophylla, Leather Flower
Availability?: Currently
$25.00 each in quart pots
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Average Rating: 5.00 (2 users) Rate This Plant!

- I have this planted at the edge of a bog area in part shade and it has done well for years. Great seed heads. (Zone 6)

- This vine is absolutely the best. I have 2. Both are in part shade (zone 7) with average soil moisture. They thrive and are beautiful. It might be my most favorite plant!

Suggested companions

Coreopsis 'Creme Brulee' Coreopsis Creme Brulee, Tickseed
Phlox paniculata 'Eva Cullum' Phlox, Summer Eva Cullum
Rhododendron atlanticum Azalea, Coast


X Native Plant Good Fragrance Butterfly Plant
X Hummingbird Plant Good Fall Color X Berries & Fruits
X Deer resistant
Ease of Culture
Easy X Not Too Hard Difficult or Tricky
Evergreen
Yes Semi X No
Plant Type
Wildflower Shrub Grass or grass-like
X Perennial Tree Ground cover
Fern X Vine
Light Exposure
Full sun X Mostly sunny X Half and half
Full shade Mostly shady
Soil Condition
Sandy X Organic
Clay X Average
Moisture Tolerance
Dry Wet
X Moist X Moderate
Height
12" or less
24" to 36"
12" to 24" X 36" or taller
Color
White/whitish X Pink Blue
Yellows Rose Green
Orange, coral Violet Brown
Peach, salmon Lavender Mauve
Red, scarlet Purple Tan
Bloom Time
Early spring X Early summer Early fall
Mid spring X Mid summer Mid fall
Late spring X Late summer Late fall


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