Clematis patens — identification & habitat

Clematis patens is an East Asian climbing vine that helped shape the large-flowered garden clematis familiar in the United States. A garden plant with a similar large bloom may be a different species or a hybrid.

Appearance

Appearance: A large, open flower sits at the end of a stem. Its petal-like are usually white or pale purple in wild plants and often measure about 3–5 in (7–12 cm) across.
Growth form: A deciduous climbing vine.
Leaves: Leaves often divide into three leaflets.
Fruit: The small dry fruits form a cluster of feathery tails after flowering.

Look-alikes

Jackman’s clematisClematis × jackmanii

Jackman’s clematis (Clematis × jackmanii) usually has four broad, deep purple sepals on a flower. Wild plants of this species are often paler and commonly have about eight sepals, though cultivated forms vary.

Why they get mixed upBoth are climbing garden clematis with large, open flowers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Botanical gardens
Garden trellises
Range: Native to Korea, China, and Japan. In the United States it is cultivated.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms: Garden selections of this species include white, pink, and blue flowers. Many other big-flowered clematis sold for gardens are hybrids, so flower size alone does not identify this species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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