Clematis armandii

Clematis armandii is an evergreen climber is found growing at altitudes from 100 – 2400 metres in forests and along forest margins in its native China. Gripping, for want of a better term, hold of anything to haul itself up through the branch framework of supporting vegetation for exposure to sunlight.

The leaf is made up of three glabrous, leathery, narrowly ovate leaflets. It is the petiole of these individual leaflets that on touching a potential support kinks itself around and grips tightly. This supports the advancing growth which in the corner of the quadrangle at the Front Range has gained five metres in height through a Viburnum tinus. The new vegetative shoots are a deep bronze red.

Clematis armandii

Needing a sheltered spot to avoid winter die back and to promote flower bud formation; this specimen has thrown out a couple of flower trusses that open pure white from globose silvery buds. The individual flowers comprise 6 petals with a central boss of stamens, topped by light coffee brown anthers.