Clematis hirsutissima

Also Called: Sugar Bowl, Vase Flower

This is a bush clematis that grows wild here in the Foothills. I have a sad story to tell - leatherflowers were coming up in my vegi garden and I thought they were something the former owner had planted. I pulled them out like weeds. In later years, I found that leatherflower is unique to our area. They grow everywhere on our property.

Seed

No experience.

2008  This image shows seeds forming on a leatherflower. The deer seem to love these seed heads and manage to find them most everywhere. This year, I tried to protect a large leatherflower plant on a sunny hillside with a wide barrier of ponderosa pine branches. The deer managed to eat the seeds anyway.

Transplant

2005  I dug up two leatherflower plants just as they were showing in the spring. The roots were down about 1 foot and were similar to underground runners. I transplanted the small leatherflower plants to a shady place in my big rock garden and to my shady side rock garden. All the plants seem to take but were eaten during the summer by the deer.

I rototilled the place where I dug up the leatherflower plants, expecting the plants to be gone. I noticed that even though I dug up part of the plants, the remaining roots put up new plants. Apparently only a portion of the root needs to remain in the ground and the leatherflower plant will sprout.

Future Plans

2008  I would like to find a way to protect some leatherflower seeds and try to germinated them both indoors and outdoors. I would also like to transplant some more leatherflower plants and find a way to protect them from the deer.